The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-28 00:00:00

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[PRICE 5334.

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ants, and left the inmates free to indulge, we can scarce
picture to ourselves the horrors of the abode. Instead of
employing themselves industriously and usefully, we
should hear of nothing but riot and confusion ; instead of
listening with gratification to the charms of music, or
joining in good humour and good order the movements of
the dance, they would well-nigh have become an assembly
of demons, and instead of erecting a chapel for their in-
struction, to lead them to the foot of the Saviour, the
clanking chains and the horrible prison would have been
again to be provided. (Loud cheers.) But as these good
and wise men have acted with the sanction of the magis-
trates and Government of' the country, so do we, my
friends, endeavour to act on our own responsibility, as far
as our limited means will allow, for the well-being of the
young people of the families of Hanwell, and the time
will come, I trust, when the Government will themselves
see the importance, nay the paramount duty, of encourag-
ing mutual improvement societies in every town and vil-
lage of this mighty empire, entrusted as it seems to be
with the moral and religious interests of the inhabi-
tants of a world. There is much on other points that I
would wish to say to you, but I would not longer interrupt
the business of the evening—(go on)—only let me entreat
you all to labour to the utmost of your power, and endea-
vour to add active members to the society ; men who will
not only join us, but improve us ; men who will not only
give us their money, but their mind. You cannot con-
ceive, until you try, how much each of you, even the
humblest, may instruct and edify his neighbour, and thus
do his duty iu the station in which God has placed him,
at the same time that he will most effectually improve
himself. And here let me for a moment refer to a class of
men from whom we have not hitherto derived so much as-
sistance as we might expect, and who aro evidently them-
selves unaware of the powers they have if they chose to
exert them, or what benefit the exertion of those powers
would be for themselves. I refer to the tradesmen of the
place. We have received lectures on the various branches
of science, and the fields of history and geography have been
traversed over most ably and most kindly by our friends,
present or absent—but that which would tend, perhaps,
more than anything else to interest and amuse, and im-
prove us, too, is information upon common things, and
the requirements of our daily life, and this information
might be given most satisfactorily by the grocer, the
baker, the draper, the shoemaker, and the tailor. You
may mile at the idea, but depend upon it, if you would
make the attempt, there is not a young man amongst you
who would not be able, with the aid of the books which
Pm3urlibr4l7 supplies and your own experience, to ad& very
d
a:
at thech to the fund of knowledge of the wisest amongst us,
sametime find that, -whilst teaching otherb' you
would yourselves
be taught. Now do not misunderstand
me. lam not asking you to inform me how much sand may •
be mixed with sugar, or chicory with coffee, or how advan•
tageous it really is to mix potatoes and other substances
with the flour to produce a useful and profitable article ;
how, by being careful of a nail, yards and ells may be
saved, or the beneficial account to which remnants are
often turned, or what sort of stuff you find most suitable
for the soles of your customers, or what is the derivation
or popular meaning of the tailor's cabbage, or the tailor's
goose. Questions of this kind it is not to be supposed
could be answered from experience by the members of
the Hanwell Mutual Improvement Society. The infor-
mation which you would be enabled to give, and which
we should desire, would be of a perfectly different na-
ture. The young grocer in looking round his shop would
find so many subjects that he would scarcely know
where to begin. The sugar he would find sweeter than,
ever. The tea and coffee more refreshing and more
valuable than before. Oil and candles would shed a
light which has never been imagined since the time
that carbnretted hydrogen gas was first introduced.
The vinegar would become a delicious draught, the pro-
perties of the mustard and pepper incalculably improved,
and, in fact, the whole warehouse become a mine of infor-
mation of the most valuable character. So, too, with the
baker and the other tradesmen. You might think of going
to California and Australia for gold, but you would find
that you have treasures at home, of which you were not
aware, which you could impart, too, with advantage to
your neighbours, and add to your own stock of wealth at
the same time. You will, I am sure, at once perceive what
I mean. To take only one article, and that may guide you
in the rest. Let for instance sugar be the subject of your
lecture—how much valuable information could you give
us in which the books in your library would so materially
assist. Some would like to know what sugar is : others
where it comes from ; others how it grows—when first
introduced ; how it is cultivated ; whence the different
kinds of sugar ; why is some white, some brown ; what
process does it go through in manufacture ; and
many other points with which yon may, perhaps,
be acquainted, but which some of us are not. Or, if you
like to break off into moral questions, there is the one of
slavery closely connected with the subject. You see, then,
you young grocers, that there are sweets in sugar which
your customers have yet never tasted, and which you cer-
tainly had no idea of when you were satiated with the
stolen lumps you have heretofore enjoyed. Now, that
which the grocer does with his sugar, the draper might do
with his cotton ; and whilst the intelligent young tailor
entered into a description of his various cloths, the pecu-
liar qualities of the Yorkshire and the West of England
manufacture, and (larded for us the merino and the Austra-
lian wools, the young shoemaker might, in enthusiasm for
his craft, prove to us that there is nothing like leather.
You may, perhaps, doubt the possibility of accomplishing
this, but pray tell me why ? Are you not able to read ? Are
you not able to write ? Are you not able to think ? Then go
to your library ; take down from the shelves a volume of
the Cyclopiedia which you will find there ; reed the descrip-
tions there given of the subject you propose to take up ;
write down that which your reason will tell you will be
most desirable to know ; digest well what you have written,
and come and tell us the result of your reflections, and you
will be able to give ns information on commonthings, more
useful for us to know, and more profitable for you to im-
part, than if Nee ton were present to carry us among the
stars, or Bacon to explain to us the grand principles of his
Philosophy. Time will not allow me to proceed, but I
have said enough I hope to show you that you tradesmen
have only to resolve and you may give us the most valuable
information, and promote most successfully the objects of
the society. And in doing this you will be promoting
your own object and your own interest in another way.
Vast numbers aro now exerting themselves to effect
what is termed the Early Closing Movement. Now
some of your best friends may doubt the desirableness
of the object when they consider the evils of idle-
ness ; but once prove to them that you will employ your
leisure in the improvement of your intellectual and moral
faculties, and their prejudices, if they be such, will be
entirely removed, and, doubtless, then a wise and paternal
Government will pass laws in your favour, of which now
they might be afraid to make the experiment. But whilst
thinking of what may be realised, we must not forget what
has been actually done in the year that has just passed.
In addition to the lectures already referred to, you have
been carried down into the coal mine, and examined its
conformation anti its (rases ; you have seen specimens of
the primeval forests, of ages long anterior to the present
race ; you have been conducted to Australia, and heard
enlivening descriptions of that land of gold—so full
of attraction to the youthful imagination, so full,
too, of moral crime and human depravity. " Let
no one admire," says Milton, " that riches grow in hell ;
that son may best deserve the precious bane. You have
been likewise gratified 1):7 readings in Shakspere, and the
beauties of Uncle Tom's Cabin have been faithfully pre-
sented to your notice. You have been at one time taught
the application of the principles of geometry, whilst you
have been at other times charmed and cheered with the
voice of a King, if not of a Queen. If we look to the
Financial Statement which will be soon read to you, you
will find much to gratify you. Your subscriptions for the
year have considerably increased. Our fete, at which hun-
dreds of your neighbours were present and enjoyed them-
selves, not only cost you nothing, but added to your funds,
although you have doubled your newspapers, to say nothing
of your periodicals, and additions to your library, you
have a larger balance in the hand of your treasurer
for future objects of the society than you have had
at the termination of any previous year. 'Whether then
we look back upon what we have already done, or for-
ward on what we hope to do, we have, you see, my friends,
much reason to feel confidence in the working of our so-
ciety. But our motto must be still forward. Past success
must only urge to future victories, and we must not stand
still until all who want improving, or are willing to im-
prove us, be induced to join our ranks. Ge, then, when
you separate this evening, and determine, ere another an-
niversary come around, if God in his mercy so long spare
your lives, that there shall be no one of your neighbours
and friends who is not made acquainted with the principles
of the society, and urged by all your influence to come
amongst us. Tell them that we aro ready and willing to
receive them, that for a less sum weekly than will procure
them a good cigar, or a single quart of ale, they can bo
entitled to the privileges of a society formed especially for
their improvement and well-being. That our aim is to
make the drunkard sober, the idle industrious, the ignorant
intelligent, and to raise those who have debased themselves
almost to the level of brutes to the honour and dignity. 9
man—that when they are themselves improved theyl
still will
be employed in improving others, and tiliiat w
derew
struggle on, until, as we havelnear n! a Mod I Asylum, as
go:plort
cease, but throw_h evil report and throug _
we ye raised a model Church, so will we by God's bles-
sing endeavour to carry on this useful, this important so-
ciety, until it becomes a model for improvement and edu-
cation which every village, town, and city in our country
will do well to imitate. Then, even if we partially fail,
we shall be sure of accomplishing much, and have the de-
lightful satisfaction of knowing that our efforts have been
made in a good cause, that we deserve, if we do not gain,
the support of all, and we may feel assured of the appro-
bation of Him whose life was spent in doing good to those
around Him, and who lived and died to promote the wel-
fare of mankind.
At the conclusion of his address, the rev. gentleman was
greeted with loud cheers.