The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-22 00:00:00

ollimpioned ignorance against light and education, it
is only fair for you to exclaim, " He is dead, sir, you
need not have brought your gun." I know also that,
i the assembled millions of the land could be col-
lec ecl together into one spot, and asked to pronounce
it verdict in favour of the cause of national in-
struction, the expression of public opinion would be
too magnificent, too deOded, and too universal to he
for a moment mistaken. It would be one
loud burst from the hearts of a high.
soured and intelligent people. The effect would
be electric. No excitement of azitation would he
required to get it up. It would be no echo of the
feeling of orators or teachers. It would be "one and
all,""like the impulse which acted upon the first
crusaders—that miracle of enthusiasm which history
has dwelt upon with so much •pleasure and nelight.
Now all this is very well, that is, as far as 'ir 'goes.
But an abstract hatred of ignorance and an abstract
love:of education are not enough. I want your active
as well as your passive support for our great and good
cause. It is not sufficient to be with us atain annual
meeting. We ask for your constant and abiding help.
High.day, field-day, and parade day friends are but
like the flashing and dancing lights and meteors of a
northern winter, which appear only again to vanish.
They are but killers of time, who come to our meet-
ings to have their ears tickled with a little excitement,
but about whom all our appeals play harmlessly, and,'
like a bolt shot wide of its mark, leave their hearts
untouched. But I would hope, I would believe,
better things of all who are here present. I would
hail you, not as the drones, but the working bees,
fellow-labourers, in behalf of popular education, met
together to night to talk over the past and the
present, and to be found to-morresv in the world still
training, and preparing, and elevating the tnind at
man to keep pace with the mighty future, as the tide
of intelligence swells and rises higher and higher on
every side of us. Go on and prosper. .%lay every.
day add to the sunlight of knowledge and civilization
by which we are surrounded. And may its genial
rays scatter from our horizon the clouds of ignorance,
which still linger above it! May they make us all happy in the feeling that we are contributing to the
happiness, of others ! And may they extend their
pure, and holy, and benign influence from locality to
locality, from one end of our country to the other,:
shedding their cheering warmth upon all ranks acid
classes of the people! We may not live to witness
this glorious consummation; but we should feel it a
pleasure, and cling to it as a privilege, that we are
allowed to revel in the consciousness that, according
to our several talents and capabilities, we are helping,
be it ever so little, to ripen it into maturity.—(The
Reverend Gentleman resumed his seat amidst enthu-
siastic applause.)
Mr. DUNNING (the secretary to the union) then
delivered an animated address, taking as his text the
word "soiree." He referred to the time when ordi-
nary English people were perplexed by the word, and
every different individual who dared to take the word
upon his lips gave it a peculiar and almost invariably
a wrong pronunciation. He then indicated the en.
joyment and the advantages of literary, studious, and
reflective evenings. To a cultivated mind there was
light in darkness, day in night, and happiness in
gloom. He quoted from one of our poets on the
adaptation of night to the intellectual and physical
wants of man. He congratulated the tradesmen of
Beverley for their adherence to the early closing
movement, allowing their assistants to attend at the
lectures and classes of the institute, and contrasted the
laudable and high-minded pursuits in intellectual
soirees with the low and sensual scenes of the beer.
houses and the haunts of vice. He depicted the soirée
of the home fireside—of the meeting of lovers—and of
the family altar; and described the varied advantages
of mechanics' institutes. He concluded by moving a
vote of thanks to the donors, female and male, of the
trays for the tea.
Mr. DENNISON seconded the vote of thanks, and
made sonie remarks on the importance of female in-
fluence in aiding in the improvement of all classes of
society.
The vote of thanks was passed unanimously.
The Rev. J. 13. BIRT WHISTLE M.A., Incumbent of
the Minster, moved a vote of thanks to the Rev. J.
Aspinall, for his very eloquent address. He strongly
commended the work of education, especially in infant
and national schools. Ile believed that the future
generation would, as the result of education, be a far
superior ene to those which had preceded it.
The Rev. W. YOUNG, 8.A., Independent Minister,
seconded the motion. He said he was exceedingly
pleased to see gentlemen in Mr. Aspinall's position
guiding and leading the educational movement.
f his was an age which asked questions, and people
would not be satisfied but with intelligent and proper
answers, and since all were inquiring for proper
intelligence and right informaion, that intelligence
and that information should be communicated to
them.

c,"7.1\
//,