The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-07 00:00:00

Working Men's Clubs and Institutes.

ficent patron of art ; and he (the president) migh
also my, although he could not pretend to have any
intimate knowledge of what might have fallen from
Lord Dudley on the two previous occasions, that as
regarded the advice his lordship gave to that infant
institution and the encouragement he offered to it,
he (Sir John) could not take safer ground than to
say he entirely agreed with whatever the noble earl
told them. But there was one thing which he might
say better, perhaps, for himself than Lord Dudley
or anyone else could say for him, and that was to
express the great pleasure it gave him to find on all
sides of Worcestershire—and not only in that county
but in all part of the country—those schools of art
were springing into existence in all our populous
towns, and were generally attended with very great
success. Their importance was of course far greater
in towns such, for instance, as Worcester and Kid-
derminster, in which manufactures are carried on
requiring both taste and artistic skill for their cul-
tivation. He was not one of those, as they were well
aware, who were very enthusiastic admirers of the
Committee of Council on Education. He never liked
the constitution of that committee, never liked the
mode in which they acted. He never approved and
could not approve the partial and imperfect manner
in which they carried out the great and important
functions which the Legislature of this country had
intrusted to them. But at the same time, he must
admit that he thought the encouragement which the
department of the Committee of Council intrusted
with the conduct and management of schools of art
had given to the cultivation of art in this country
was highly commendable ; and he could not help
thinking that, although there might be some defects,
yet on the whole the management of the Science
and Art Department had been such as to give a
great stimulus to the cultivation of art in this coun-
try. (Cheers.) As they were aware, there had been
schools of art in different parts of England for a
great number of years, but in the course of, compa-
ratively speaking, the last few years public attention
had been more than ever directed to the necessity of
encouraging general education, and as a much greater
stimulus had been given to general education than
formerly, so had that been eminently the case with
regard to that particular part of education, namely,
the cultivation among the middle and lower classes
of a taste for art. (Hear, hear.) Some persons
believed that was more especially attributable to the
effects of the In+ernational Exhibitions which had
taken place in this country at the suggestion of the
late lamented Prince, Consort. When the produc-
tions of different nations awl the arts of (Efferent
nations were brought together in these Exhibitions,
a general feeling existed that England did not stand
so high in comparison with other countries, and es-
pecially in comparison with France, as they all natu-
rally desired it should do. The effects of the Great
Exhibition of 1851, he believed, more than the effect
of any other cause, was to give a great stimulus to
that cultivation, and at the same time the manufac-
tures of this country had greatly improved. The
importance of our manufactures could not be over-
rated, and he might go so far as to say that the re-
sult of that Exhibition, and the stimulus so given,
and the encouragement so given to local schools of
art, had established 'this fact—that, whatever
might hitherto have been the superiority of the
French in all matters of taste, there was no differ-
ence in the characteristics of the two nations which
should at all forbid the hope that the day was not
far distant, if, indeed, it had not already arrived,
when the English people would be found as fertile
in good taste and in the art of design as the French
people, and that we in England could combine the
taste of the Frenchman with the substantialities
which have so long and deservedly marked the Eng-
lish character. (Cheers.) Since he had been in that
room a gentleman had placed in his hands a copy of
the Times of that day, in which he found reported a
speech of an honourable and distinguished friend of
his (Sir Stafford S. Northcote, M.P.), who had just
been addressing the School of Art at Exeter, under
circumstances similar to those under which he had
the honour of now addressing them. In glancinc,
somewhat cursorily over the speech, he (Sir John)
found with very greut satisfaction that Sir Stafford
Northcote alluded to that very question upon which
he had himself ventured to touch—namely, was
there, or was there not, any real distinction of cha-
rFter between the Englishman and the French-
man of such a nature as to prevent the Englishman
being as accomplished in art as his neighbour across
the water? He was very glad to see that Sir Staf-
ford Northcote, who was a very high authority on
such subjects, had come to exactly the same conclu-
sion as he had. As au authority in these matters,
Sir S. Northcote might be estimated from the fact
that he moved for and presided over a committee of
the House of Commons in the last session upon that
very subject. He regretted that the honour he (Sir
_ J. Pakington) had of addressing that meeting had
not been reserved for a few days later ; had it been
so he should have been able to do that which he was
sorry to say he was now unable to do--namely, to
tell them that which must be interesting to every
school of art, what was the nature of the report of
the committee over which, in the last Session of
Parliament, Sir Stafford Northcote presided. He
was sorry to say that report, although it was now
public, had only just been made public, and he (the
speaker) had not yet had an opportunity of seeing
it, and, therefore, it was impossible for him to know
anything about it, excepting such information as he
had hastily gleaned from the speech of his hon.
friend to which he had alluded.
But he was glad
to see that
Sir Stafford Northcote intimated that
probably it would be found in the report that there
would shortly be new
regulations
of importance
issued, and also stated that theof some
of these regnlations would be tendency
greatly to encourage
the provincial schools of art,
upon the principle of giving
greater freedom to
masters. (Cheers.) Sir Stafford
inktr teoi Northcote
e tahulasondof-
touched upon that which had beenN?
complaint, and which he
good authority for sayin(Sgirw jas°ll:otPata
founded—that under the system
uy which the
schools of art in this country are being
conducted
an undue proportion of the grant which Parliament,
With great liberality, gives annually had been ap-
propriated to the school of art in the metropolis,
and that justice had hardly been done to the loca
schools. In conclusion, the right hon. baronet con-
gratulated the school on its great success, and, after
expressing a hope that it would profit by the change
which :would he proposed by the Parliamentary
Committee, said he doubted whether it would be
able to make more rapid progress than it had done,
whatever those changes might be. As to the Re-
vised Code, to the action of which he had hitherto,
obstinately perhaps, attributed nothing but mischief
and misfortune, he confessed it had been the cause
,of a great increase in the number of art pupils, but

A meeting was held yesterday evening in the
Town-hall, Newbury, when the Rev. J. L. Randall,
the rector, presided ; and W. T. Marriott, Esq., a
member of the council, attended and delivered an
address as a deputation from the Union. The club
premises, which will be opened on the 10th instant,
contain very necessary accommodation, and it is
fully expected that the institution will accomplish
much good. Progress of the movement in the
North : During the last fortnight the Rev. H. Solly,
the secretary of the Central Union, has attended
and addressed meetings of an interesting character
at the following places :----On Monday, the 26th of
December, the Mayor of Salford presided at a
Christmas tea-meeting of the Pendleton's Working
People's Association, when speeches were delivered
by W. T. Blacklock, Esq., the president, J. H.
Raper, Esq., Briggs, Esq., Mr. Solly, and others.
This association consist principally of the work-
people belonging to the mills of Sir Elkanah Armi-
tage and Sons, who have exerted themselves very
generously in its establishment and maintenance, in
which they have been most efficiently assisted by J.
Sugden, Esq., the honorary secretary. On the 29th,
a meeting, principally composed of working men,
was held in the Tuckerman Institute, Toxteth-park,
Liverpool. A large and enthusiastic meeting, at-
tended by a considerable number of the most intel-
ligent operatives in the town, among whom were
many belonging to the new ship and waggon build-
ing companies, was held on the evening of Jan. 3,
in the Palatine-hall, Lancaster, under the pre-
sidency of E. M. Fenwick, Esq., M.P.,
one of the members for the borough. Mr. Solly
detailed the progress of the movement since his
departure from Lancaster, which elicited
hearty congratulations, -and exhorted his hearers to
emulate the example of other places by availing

,hemselves to the utmost of the club and recreation

facilities offered by the committee of the Mechanics'
Tngtitution. On the following evening Mr. Solly
spoke at a crowded soiree of the Liverpool Co-ope-
rative Society, held in the Lord Nelson-street Con-
cert-hall. After dwelling upon the importance of
raising the whole tone of the tastes and habits of
working men, 'if co-operative;•and similar societies
are to be successful, he announced that an impor-
tant meeting would be held in the course of two or
three weeks for the promotion of working men's
clubs and institutes in that town, and urged the
persons present to endeavour to secure as large and

influential meeting as he was addressing that even-
ing. On the following day Mr. Solly addressed a
meeting in the Mayor's parlour in the Town-hall of
Manchester, at which the Mayor presided. At the
close of Mr. Solly's address the Mayor expressed his
entire and hearty concurrence, and avowed his sa-
tisfaction with the Ancoats Club, of which he was
president, and which had been started by Mr. Solly
some months ago. ,The Rev. A. B. Clarke, rector
of St. Oswald's, moved, and Councillor Murray se-
conded, a resolution cordially approving of the
movement, and appointing a provisional committee
for carrying out the object in Manchester and the
neighbourhood. W. Romaine Callendar, Esq., who
was
_mainly instrumental in calling the meeting,
has accepted the office of honorary secretary of the
provisional committee, in conjunction with Dr.
Watts, but was unavoidably prevented at the last
moment from being present. Among those who
attended, and who were placed on the committee in
addition to the above-named gentlemen, were
Councilors Townshend and Booth, the Revs. T. S.
Lee and S. A. Steinthal, and Messrs. T. Clegg

Pearson; W. lle3rwood, J. 11. Raper;J. IT. Barker,
Maclure and Shirley. The proceedings were of an
interesting character, and much benefit is expected
to accrue from them.

Spa nish Diplomat:c Circular upon the

Peruvian Question,

MADRID, Jan. 1.
The Epoca publishes the following Circular upo]

:he Peruvian question, addressed by Senor Llorente
o the representatives of Spain in Europe and

America :

"The consequences that may result within a longer or
shorter period from our difference with Peru render it
necessary in her Majesty's opinion that I should give to
your Excellency, in her name, fresh explanations relative
to her views and intentions, commencing by stating the
origin of the misunderstanding, and by explaining the pre-
sent state of our relations with that Republic.
" These relations have for a long time past been anoma-
lous. and irregular, notwithstandingithe known and often
expressed good will of her Majesty's Government, altogether
foreign to any views or domination or reconquest in the
American continent, and disposed to enter into treaties of
peace with all the new States, as well as to recognise their
sovereignty and independence. An unequivocal proof of
this disposition was afforded by the treaty concluded between
Spain and Mexico on Dec. 28, 1836, which was followed at
different periods by similar conventions with various States
forming part of what was Spanish America. It was equally
resolved to recognise the Republic of Peru under another
arrangement of the same kind, and the negotiations were
so far advanced that, a Peruvian Plenipotentiary having
been nominated to that effect, a treaty was signed by both
parties in Madrid, which the Government of Lima however
refused to ratify. It must be stated that the latter did not
even think fit to fulfil the obligations of courtesy and
established usage by acquainting her Majesty's Govern-
ment with the motive of this resolution, either before or
after the term fixed for the exchange of the ratifications,
and her Majesty's Government was thus in ignorance upon
tha subject for a considerable, time, and might have con-
tinued so except for having received intelligence thereof
through a completely unofficial source. It has appeared to
me opportune to revert to this diplomatic incident, which
shows how extraordinary are the proceedings of the Peru-
vian Government in its international policy, and makes it
clearly understood who is to be held responsible for the
state of our relations with that Republic.
" Under the influence of such circumstances: and such
irregular relations,:in a'state of things that was neither war,
that having terminated many years before, norpeace resting
upon definite and solemn bases, persons of Peruvian nation-
ality enjoyed in the Peninsula the uninterrupted and un-
failing protection of the laws and Government, while Spa-
nish subjects in Peru have suffered innumerable vexations,
without finding the protection due from the authorities ;
vexations which being knoWn to yotir excellency I need
not enumerate, and which were subsequently lost sight of
before the general indignation produced in Spain and Ame-
rica by the sanguinary catastrophe of Talambo.
" At the same time this Government continued to be ac-
tuated towards Spain by a spirit of perpetual hoStility, not
always concealed, but openly declared upon those occasions
when it could in any way thwart Spanish policy in matters
having no connection with the interests of leru.
" With the establishment and reciprocal admission of
Consuls in both States it was thought the first step had
been taken towards a good understanding ; but these hopes
were frustrated as before, since under frivolous pretexts
this Republic resolved to withdraw her agents from Spain.
An attempt was subsequently made to have recourse to ar-
bitration, only used under extreme circumstances, in order
to place Spanish subjects under the protection of the
charge d'affaires at Lima, who would also undertake to
urge our just demands. Affording a fresh proof of its loyal
and friendly disposition the Imperial Government granted
the required authority to its representative, but this inter-
vention was rejected by the Government of Lima in the
strongest and most peremptory terms ; the subjects of her
Catholic Majesty in those countries being thus deprived of
all hope of diplomatic support and protection.
" The news of this unjustifiable repulse and of the already
mentioned horrible events of Talambo obliged the Spanish
Government, having no other available course, to send a
diplomatic agent to claim from the Peruvian Government,
on behalf of the victims of that and other previous attempts,
the justice denied or wrongfully retarded by the tribunals
of the Republic.
" Your Excellency is aware that this agent was not
hy his credentials was not defined in strict accordance with
ad-
mitted, under pretext that the character or title conferred
established custom as if even did this irregularity exist,
although it is not Certain' such was the case, it were allow-
able for
befotrviesuencheiviacrcidental defects to defer the satisfaction
urgently demanded
show-
ing itself so scrupulvor Government
was
referred to the Pe'seru Peruvian as if after the proceedings
d alike by justice and the mutual respect
form and usage. It Nsvoataildddi fa
cases without precedent and rel t
cult in matters of diplomatic
Prevailing a 10119 of so special a cha-
general usages of intertialitsaild6s, be idle to speak of the
Policy
Pain and Peru.
with justified
ref reference nce tocaosntshidoeser it unneceseary betweentorefSeca to other subsequent
ractelr
domtmhented upon with
injuries and offences, described and
erccuo,lardate
aridgdroreosussedeqb.tylitsy
einno rt hPea Pacheco, 24th June last,
my predecek,f4 in
r the mi_