The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-27 00:00:00

COSMOS IN

Yesterday a meeting was held in the small room,
Exeter-hall, " for the purpos of developing the objects
of the Cosmos Institute in correction with the promo-
tion of educational and geog phical pursuits, and for
o
the diffusion of information o i the colonies and emiara-
tion." In the absence of L d Stanley, who hacrre-
signed, Sir John Dorat took t 13 chair.
Mr. HYDE CLARKE read a tten address, explaining
the objects of the institution td, e the acquisition of the
" Great Globe," Leicester-sq e, and the collection of
maps in the possession of Mr .c Wyld ; and, secondly,
the establishment of a library Ind reading room for co-
lonial newspapers and information. Further, it was
proposed to establish an ethn4logical museum, and in
short, generally to aid the diffusion of knowledge on
colonial and geographical subjects. The remainder of
the address referred to the details by means of which the
design was to be carried out.
Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR, M.P,; in proposing the first
resolution, said he regretted the absence of the noble
lords and right rev. prelates wilo had given the society
the benefit of their names. TIM object of this institution
was, he said, to aid the masses'Of the people in the pro-
cess of self-development,
and especially in their inquiries
on geographical and emirationttl topics. He congratu-
lated the meeting on the absence of political agitation,
as making the present a peculiarly favourable moment
for projects of social advantage. There were signs of
progress in every quarter, an although there was a
-dark cloud in one quarter of tile horizon, he still hoped
that it might not burst over to heads of the nation.
Even if it did, however, Englisiniien were now, as they
had always been, ready to brave the storm. (Loud
cheers.) But the great questien of the day was the
education of the people. The people themselves had
determined that education they must have, and the
only question now was, how was it to be given, and
what it was to be. After some further general observa-
tions, Mr. Seymour concluded byrecapitulating the objects
already stated in the address, adding the fact that, out
of 1,200,000 persons who had visited the " Great Globe"
during the past year, 400,000 had been gratuitously ad-
mitted by the present proprietor, Mr. Wyld. The reso-
lution pledged the meeting to the general principle of
national education and the support of educational insti-
tutes.

Mr. EMERSON seconded the resolution, addressing
himself principally to two topics. The first was the
great ignorance of the people of England as to the
colonial possessions of the British crown. One object
of this society would be to enlighten that ignorance,
which was nowhere greater than in the great metropolis.
The second was the great want there was in this city of
any place of resort and information for visitors from the
colonies. To remedy that defect would be another ob-
ject of the proposed institute, and therefore he, as a
colonist, felt bound to give it his support.
Mr. A. CAMPBELL, who described himself as a work-
ing man, supported the resolution. lie considered that
the proposed arrangements were very liberal towards
the working men, who would, he was sure, give the
institute their support.
The resolution was put and carried unanimously.
Captain INGLEFIELD, R.N., the celebrated explorer of
the Arctic regions, who was received with loud applause,
proposed the second resolution, which was to the effect
that the promotion of geography and its kindred sciences
was of great value to a commercial and mercantile
people, and that the Cosmos Institute would serve as a
centre of information to persons emigrating, and to those
colonists who visited the mother country. He was happy
to state that the Board of Admiralty and the authorities
at the Horse Guards liberally supplied books to the navy
and army, and that the men eagerly availed themselves
of these contributions of books for libraries. He knew
that both in the army and navy there were those rho
only lacked such an institution as this to become greater
and more clever men. He mentioned an instance of a
stoker, who, on his last voyage, through the chief en-
lgi ibnreaerry,
_htanda t a
bs ko eo en-
d forwas the
Humboldt's la n of a
,bco
oo
akin outos ofThhiiss
man had studied the book, and had made some very ab-
struse calculations on the eclipse of the sun, and he was
now engaged at Woolwich. He (Captain Inglefield) ex-
pected to go another voyage to the Arctic regions, and
he hoped to take this man with him. Of all sciences,
there were none which admitted of so much extension
as that of geography. If they turned to painting, let
them look to the old masters. Could they find any-
thing superior to the works in the present age ? So in
music—the old ballads always charmed. But geo-
graphy involved with its study many other sciences,
and this institution offered an opportunity to every man
to instruct himself in any one branch of geography.
Ignorance pervaded not only the humbler classes, but
the very highest in this respect, as he had himself re-
clstly_witnessed. The discoveries made in the Arctic
regions had been productive of mighty results. With
reference to our gallant missing conntrymen, the
world believed they were lost, but he did not.
(Loud applause.) This was a broad assertion to
make. He had been twice in the Arctic regions,
and he had penetrated 120 miles further north
than any other previous voyager, and he would
speak of what he had seen, and he must refer
to the vast supply of animal food to sustain the
voyagers. One night, when the sea was calm, he had
sailed through what he termed an ocean of birds ; and
the natives within 101 degrees of this were able to find
everything they required from the beasts by which they
were surrounded. And here he would allude to what
had been declared by Sir Edward Parry at the dinner
given at Lynn to Lieut. Cresswell—that he believed
where the Esquimaux lived Europeans might also exist.
Had they a right, then, to give up our gallant country.
men as lost ? Poor Franklin, if still alive, might be 70;
his men were all picked men. and their average ages did
not exceed 33 or 35 years. These, then, were not the
men to despond. They lived upon hope. He had, in
those latitudes, with his own gun, killed in three hours
150 birds. They were carried to Beechy Island, and
being frozen, they remained as fresh food. For himself,
he bad spent his life in every clime, and it was his busi-
ness on this occasion to return thanks for the seamen to
Mr. Wyld, for the manner in which he had opened his
exhibition gratuitously to his brother sailors. (Cheers.)
The Rev. Mr SEYMOUR, of Chelsea, seconded the
resolution, and promised the aid of the working clergy
to the institute. He contended that the diffusion of
knowledge, instead of weakening, as some thought,
would tend only to strengthen religious convictions
throughout the community.
Mr. STOCQUELER moved the third resolution, approv-
ing of the Cosmos Institute. He showed that our re-
cent geographical discoveries would enable us to be very
independent of Russia in the event of a war, as tallow
and isinglass could be brought from India. He was
of opinion that ignorance of geography was as much a
blemish among the upper and middle classes as among
the lower, and instanced a case of a lady having asked
him if he ever rode from Calcutta to Bombay to see her
son.

Mr. GRIFFIN seconded the resolution.
A vote of thanks was then tendered to the chairman,
and the meeting broke up.

RA IL TVA Y SHARE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 25.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market opened at a slight im-
provement, and gradually stiffened to about the highest
rates of yesterday, but closed rather easier, and with a flat
tone. Coledonian, 25',3 i,iit ; Lancashire and Yorkshire,
iiai H i ;
614 g i 6 ; Lancaster and Preston Twelfth Shares, N P. ;
and Lincoln, 20A ; Midland, 60
London and North-Western 1 A
' -"Cli ; Manchester Sheffield,
74 7-16; South-Eastern and Dover, 17a 11-16 p; Dutch
Rhenish, 3 d. Nor
British,

BIRMINGRAZ, JAN. 26.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—This market rather improved in
tone to-day. Shropshire Unions were done at dis.

MANCHESTER, 34N 25.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—There has been greater firmness
amongst sellers, but it li?.d the effect of checking business
for want of a corresponding exhibition of confidence on the
part of buyers, and the sales were exceedingly limited.
Lancaster and Carlisle New Third, 12 p. ; Caledonians
25 ; Leeds Gl',l ; East Lancashire, 15w ; Sheffield, (New
Prof.), 1-16 p.

LEEDS, JAN. 26.
STOCK ExcHANGE.—The share market this morning has
fully sustained the little improvement of yesterday, but
the transactions have been few: Midland were done at
601 ; Lancashire and Yorkshires, at 611 ; Sheffield,
Rotherham, and Goole, at 21g.

DUBLIN, JAN. 25.
STOCK EXCHA.NGE.—DubIin and Wicklow (Cl. paid),
21; Great Southern and Western (501. paid), 491.

TESTIMONIAL TO FRED. GOODYER, EsQ, CHIEF CON-
STABLE OF THE COUNTY OF LEICESTER.—It is pleasing to
notice, while in the adjoining county of Nottingham the
police are at variance with their head Officer, and in
other counties divisionsare prevailing in their respec-
tive constabulary
bodies, in Leicestershire the entire
eoips is animated by a desire to do its duty and by a
spirit of cordial unanimity. This fact is undoubtedly
owing, in great part, to the admirable manner in which
Mr. Goodyer fulfils his part, being ever anxious to
merit the approbation of the magistrates, the confidence
of the public, and the respect of the officers and con-
stables under his control. It is no undeserved eulogy
to say that he has succeeded in realising these frequently
difficult results. The force itself has long been impressed
with a feeling of zealous attachment to, and firm reliance
on, its chief, and has at last manifested it in a way
highly oreditable to him and to itself. The form in
which the testimonial has been offered is in the presen-
tation to the chief constable of a service of plate, con-
sisting of tea-pot, coffee-pot, sugar basin, and cream-jug.
The articles are richly embossed, and on one of the sides
of the tea pot, divided into three parts, an inscription
has been neatly engraved by Messrs. Nall and Co. The
articles wero procured through Mr. Thos. Johnson,
Bank-buildings, Gallowtree-gate, whose liberal conduct
in the matter has highly pleased the constabulary. The
presentation took place on Monday morning last, in
presence of superintendents Deakin, Hague, Condon,
Goodall, and Burdett, and Sergeants Moore, Wetherell,
and Iliffe, who represented the force on the occasion.--
I Leicester Chronicle.