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

Sock,- tl Science Congress at York,

YORK, Thursday Evening.
Tho eighth annual congress of the British Asso-
ciation for Promoting Social Science commenced its
labours to-day in the metropolis of the north. The
Bale 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
eeemon. 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
many 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 is_sadly 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 affairs 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 dirge 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-
noes with which they see the vessel borne down the
stream, nay, sometimes believe it stationary or borne
b icl-swards. 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 improvement—the voice of party
has been for the most part stilt, 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 us 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
anxiously desiring to further the attainment of a
comneon 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. The 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
Lcrd 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 exclua
sine which had the most disastrous consequences to
the interests or 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 nice several counties, from many classes
of the promoters of education ; among others from
teachers of schools. Then the general complaint
was that while due c ire 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 diffi.
cult to over-estimate. Yet no provision whatever is
made to superintend tee teachers of the schools fre.
quented by their children, while the vast importance
of the education they receive is undeniable. Care
is taken that no unfit persons shall practice medi-
cine 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, let 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 dep.
tation upon it to wait on the Minister. It was at-
tended by our leading members, as Mr Chadwick, to
whom weowe the greatest improvement in education
effected of late years by the half time system (as great
a raving in point of money to the working classes
as in health, physical end moral, of the pupils) ;
Lord Lyttelton, who had rendered such important
service on the commission to inquire into our pub-
lic schools; and the Bishop of London, whose
ancient. connexion with Rugby school gave him pa-
wei;
weight on all such questions. Tee deputation
il l-c'assz)d the subject,subject,in the minister's presence, and
it has sic,e*s been announced in Parliament that a
`67,inaecit tor
mild4l,,,orithwith he issued on the whole
-with the 'ass education, in compliance
recommendationl of the council. An ins.
portent discussion took
Eton of girls to the university examinations.cal .
tiyn
thatlAo on the admis...
It was unanimously agreed'ssmost desir-
able, and the committee tormed for prclnt
object arc very desirous that it should.
be I
referred tois
includediug th
under the head of those matters r
the commission for inquiry. There can be no