The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-21 00:00:00

Mr. Aptommas's Harp Recital,

however, a little out of the beaten track, and the
addresses did not concern themselves in any way
with those political questions which are now agitat-
ing Europe. The speakers were the Duke of
ARGYLL and Mr. ROEBUCK, and the event which
called them together was the annual conference of
the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics Institutes, held
in Sheffield on Wednesday last. Mechanics insti-
tutes have often enough proved the topic of popular
addresses, but there were some features in the meet-
ing of Wednesday which rendered it exceptionally
interesting. It represented no inconsiderable con-
junction, but a union of institutes, with an aggregate
of 23,000 members, which is now celebrating its
twenty-seventh anniversary. It includes a hundred
libraries, which boast of possessing 137,000 books,
and of having issued during the year 318,000. ft
seems that some persons had proposed to add to the
peculiar features of these institutions some of the
worxing men's clubs, recently organised, but the
members resolved, after some discussion, to adhere
to their original constitution, and to retain the pro-
minence of those educational objects for which their
union was originally formed. Yorkshiremen are
famed for being hard headed and hard working, so
that they can afford to keep to the severer studies
for their recreation, and if the results of the present
system are satisfactory, as, from the statistics we
have given above, they appear to be, it is certainly
wiser to continue the course which experience has
proved successful, instead of adding to the super-
structure an adornment not contemplated at the
time of the original foundation. The Duke of
ARGYLL, in his very able and sensible address,
observed that the name of mechanics institute had
become almost a byword, from the common belief
that it represented an institution of which the
members were rot mechanics; but from what he
learned of this Yorkshire gathering, such an accu-
sation could not fairly be brought against it. The
noble duke expressed his hope that in the course of
time the union would include all societies and estab-
lishments which had for their objects the educa-
tional improvement of the great body of the popu-
lation. The question of national education is
pressing more and more upon public attention, and
the deficiency hitherto existing with regard to our
middle and lower classes, has given rise to much
well directed effort to bring about a better state of
things. The Society of Arts has been a valuable
auxiliary in this good work, and especially so by
the system of public examinations and rewards
which it upholds. The spirit of competition and
emulation is thus evoked, and the honourable
ambition, which is eo great a stimulus to exertion, is
called into beneficial action, thus supplying a want
which greatly retarded the progress of our average
scholars of the lower classes. No doubt there are
many students whom remarkable ability or strong
natural taste will urge to unremitting application
and energetic study, but such will always be the
conspicuous exceptions to the ordinary rule, and it
is right and necessary to consider the great body
of studente, rather than the gifted few who
may need no such incentive. Another valuable
feature of the examination system is to
guard against that superficiality of instruction
only too common. The revelations of the Civil
Service Commissioners brought vividly before the
public the urgent need of some reform, and those
who ridicule the competiti ;e system, and main-
tain that it is absurd tq expect a clerk to answer
questions that &gilt puzzle a pedant, will, per-
haps, be startled to learn that out of 2,334 can-
didates rejected during these examinations, only
183 were rejected without having failed in writing,
spelling, or the commonest rules of arithmetic.
Such statistics proves, as the Duke of ARGYLL
remarked, how very slovenly and inaccurate is
the education new being given to the middle and
working eFesses. Such education, however pre-
tentioe46, must entirely fail in its real object—in
eattivating the reasoning faculties, and fitting a
man the better to perform his duties, whatever
his sphere of action. No such complaint is made
against the higher classes, thanks to the efficacy
of the public school system, whose advantages
may, in the opinion of the Duke of ARGYLL, be
brought in some measure within the reach of
Yorkshiremen by an Educational Union, with a
regular method of public examinations and prizes.
But a charge of another kind is often brought
egainat our great public schools, which it is im-
portant that associations of this kind should care-
fully avoid. They are accused of neglecting
natural science, a department of study whose prac-
tical interest and value to the working men exceeds
almost any other, What can be a more fascinating
study for an engineer than the laws which regu-
late force, and rule the expansion of steam ?
What more gratifying to the busy workers of
Birmingham or Sheffield than the study of the
qualities of metals, and the manner in which
many important discoveries were worked out by
humble toilers like themselves ? The lives of the
kings and heroes of the past may entertain their
hours of leisure, but the study of the laws of nature
will be with them in their daily work, will show
them to what purpose the strength of the strong
arm or the cunning of the skilful hand is applied ;
how one law rules or counterbalances another, how
the great principles of science are eternal, immus
table and perfect like their Almighty ruler. With
regard to the often-talked of discrepancy between
science and faith—a discrepancy only perceptible
to those whose intellects fail to appreciate the one,
or whose hearts are insensible to the influence of
the other—the noble Chairman spoke pointedly and
impressively, not as a mere didactic teacher, but
as one who from his acquirements in scientific
knowledge had good right to state the light in
which such theories appeared to hire. He main-
tained, also, the duty of the State to provide for
the education of its members, and after dilating on
the merits of the Factory Act, he contended that it
was quite as reasonable that the landed proprietor
should be hound to see to the eduction of the
children of the agricultural labourers whom he em-
ployed as that the manufacturer should be com-
pelled to see to the education of the children whom
he employed. Mr. ROEBUCK, who always befriends
any association for the popular benefit, gave hearty
encouragement to the dwellers in his constituency
in their efforts for self-improvement. It had always,
he declared, been one of his dreams that working
men might derive as much pleasure from intellec-
tual sources as the classes above them. Whether
this vision will ever be fully realised remains to be
proved by the future; at all events such assemblies
as this Yorkshire gathering tend to hasten the good

This accomplished harpist gave another of his
well-known harp recitals on Wednesday last, at the
Hanover-square Rooms. The entertainment con-
sisted exclusively of performances on the harp, but
the great variety of the music selected prevented it
from becoming tedious. It is Mr. Aptommas's
object to bring this now neglected instrument again
into favour, and he, therefore, endeavours to display
its capabilities to the fullest extent. Many persons
wh

owell as an accompaniment,
m little else. This idea Mr.
sg
it th e
is harpfi very
for
Aptommas combats by showing that it possesses
sufficient power and expression to render due efftct
to some of the great chef d'ceuvres of the classical
masters. The first part of Wednesday's selection
consisted entirely of such specimens as Beethoven's
" Mconlight Sonata," Mendelssohn's " Songs
Without Words," ellapin's " Marche Funebre,"
and the immortal " Harmonious Blacksmiths," were
all successively given, tte last being perhaps the
best. The second part consisted of Mr. Aptommas's
own arrangements, whiolt proved him to be no less
ingenious in adaptation than skilful in execution.
The two fantasias in Welsh and Irish airs were
!lief:to:ld. Altogether the perform-
aeasic
decidedly the variety and popularity
eoasfnpeteehcsei a l yes
were
pleasing, lde
successful, and the rooms
were fully and fashionably attended.

Mr. Webster and Mr. Boucicault.

to THE EDITH; OF THE SIIN.

Sir,—Mr. Webster, in his reply
to my letter,
admits my statements. If I decline to notice or to
imitate his epistolary
style, it will, I trust, serve
to prove the general propriety of mine. He has,
however, introduced other and irrelevant state-
ments, two of which I beg your favour to dis-
pose of. I never availed myself of my absence
in America for seven years to bar my debt. On
my return to this country in 1860 I paid all
claims against me, without question as to their
justness or unjustness; and many I paid that
could have been contested had they not
been turned into debts of honour by the
Statute of Limitation, I am obliged to say that
this matter was publicly investigated at my late
bankruptcy and cited to my credit—a fact well
known to Mr Webster when he dispersed his calum■
nits without selecting his facts. He states that he
l has held an I 0 U of mine for £2OO since the year
1853. If he will search further, he should be able
to find a score of similar documents representing
casual transactions, and spread over the ten pre.
vious years, but which, with careless reliance, I
presumed he had destroyed. If this document
truly represented a debt owing by me to
Mr Webster is it credible that during a period
of two years, from 1860 to 1862, when his weekly
payments to me were frequently from £3OO
to £4OO, he should never have reminded me of this
I 0 U, nor suggested that such a debt was owing P
While, remembering my fortunate and opportune
career at the Adelphi, there may be some who will
ask if Mr. Webster owes me nothing P and if his
present and past conduct towards me represents his
usual way of meeting such obligations ? Mean-
while, I reflect with pleasure that I have never, by
word or act, molested or interfered with him; nor
indeed have I paid any attention to his singular and
restless animosity until obliged by his uncalled-for
display of it to do so.—Your obedient servant,
Manchester, May 19. DioN BOUCICATILL

Volunteer Review in Hyde-park,

TO THE EDITOR or THE SUN.

SIR,—At a meeting of volunteer commanding
officers of the metropolitan corps, held this day, it
was resolved unanimously that the heads of firms
in L-ndon be requested to give the volunteers in
their employment a half-holiday o❑ Saturday, the
28th, to enable them to take part in the review
which is then to be held in Hyde-park, in celebra-

tion of the Queen's birthday. As chairman of the
meeting, I venture i❑ the name of the commanding
officers to give publicity to this resolution through
the medium of your paper, and to express a hope
that the request therein contained may meet with
favourable consideration,—l remain, sir, yours, &c.,
ELCHO.
National Rifle Association, 11, Pall-mall East,
May 20.

The Custom-Rouse Clerks' Petitions,