The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-30 00:00:00

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LONDON:
FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1841.

A meeting, of which a report appears in an-
other place, was held last night at the Mechanics'
Institution, to consider the propriety of comme-
morating, by some suitable memorial, the great
services of Dr. BIRKBECK in the cause of educa-
tion. We need not expatiate on his merits, the
chief founder and promoter of Mechanics' Insti-
tut'ons throughout the empire, they are known
to .every person who takes any interest in the
education of the people. It is only necessary now
to commemorate them, less for his sake, perhaps,
than for---may we call it: —the selfish object of
encouraging imitation in others, in order to pro-
duce hereafter a whole generation of I.3lnicsEcxs.
Hitherto mankind seems to have found little
pleasure in honouring their benefactors; but,
amongst modern improvements we may confi-
dently place that of a growing preference to the
peaceful virtues. So much have statesmen and
soldiers been glorified that greedy patriots, am-
bitious of high places, and warriors, who offer
their swords for any cause, have become dirt
cheap. The next age 'ill probably need their
services even less than the present, and will
rather require, we hope, men like Dr. BIRRBECK.
Whether the admiration of such men be in-
stinctive, or the result of reason, it is now most
judicious, and will nurse into life the talents and
the virtues which will be more serviceable to the
next age. For the public good, even more than
for the gratification of the estimable individual
whom the moeting, was called to honour, we
trust the object proposed will meet, as it -de-
serves, the cordial support of all the Mechanics'
Institutions, and all the friends to educatiOn)
throughout the empire. -
Itl
be is honourable to them s to 1;)!'.
IllaillECK
at to ma a great and a combined effort
once to
commemorate.his disinterested. and
tinwealed exertions, and
romote the success of

the good cause to . which he has devoted that
time, snatched from an arduous profession,
which other men give to ease and indulgence.
For upwards'of thirty yeais Dr. Bi4KBECK has
devoted his leisure and 'his talents to giving in-
struction in the physical sciences to the humbler
classes, and most of our Mechanic,' Institutions are
indebted for their existence to his exertion and
example. Endowed with winning and grace-
ful manners, his lectures were always as con-
spicuous for their good taste and the graceful-
ness of his delivery as for their solid instruction.
It will be no honour to the country, and parti-
cularly to members of Mechanics' Institutions,
should such a man, now advancing into years and
no longer blessed with health, no t be made sensibl e
while he is yet with us—that his valuable lessons
have not been thrown away, and that, at least, he
has taught his numerous pupils to appreciate and
honour his great worth.

In the abstract, it can be of no consequence to
the people, it is supposed, whether they receive
commercial reform, the needed reform of the
present time, from the hands of Sir R. PEEL or
Lord J. RUSSELL. " What we want," say a
great number of persons, " is a reduction of the
Corn-tax and the sugar duties, with an extension
of trade, and if Sir it. PEEL will give us that,
as he can carry measures through the Lords
which Lord J. RUSSELL could not, we shall be
as well pleased to see Sir R. PEEL in office as
Lord J. RUSSELL." That is a prevailing sort of
worldly wisdom to which Sir It. PEEL owes much
of success.

But apart from the ingratitude of placing as
much confidence in the man who has continually
opposed as in the man who has very generally
promoted reform, apart from the impropriety of
honouring and rewarding a foe, and slighting a
friend, there is, we think, a good ground for
rejecting reform at the hands of Sir ROBERT
PEEL. Any Minister who carries through com-
mercial reform will increase his influence and
secure his power. Should Sir ROBERT PEEL be
firmly established and supported by the bulk of
the manufacturing and commercial population as
well as the county constituencies, there can be
no doubt that he would use his popularity and
power to promote his own projects. In the flood
tide of prosperity, caused by commercial reform,
he would be allowed to extend the Church and
destroy the franchise in Ireland. If he promote
or acquiesce in commercial reform, it will be be-
cause he cannot help himself; and it would be
purchasing his forced co-operation in that gocl
cause a little too dearly to give him, in exchange
for it, the means of crushing the germs of liberty
in Ireland, and of strengthening the clerical
tyranny under which we now groan in England.
From Lord JOHN RUSSELL and the Whigs we
can have nothing of the kind to fear. They
would, and could, only use the popularity and
power resulting from achieving the needed fiscal
and commercial reform of the day, to promote
some further improvements, such as the exten-
sion of the franchise and the curtailment of the
Church. Independently, therefore, of the love
and respect Reformers must feel for their gene-
rally consistent, though sometimes vacillating
and backsliding friends, the Whigs; and inde-
pendently of their mistrust and dislike of the
man who, after having opposed reform of alt
kinds whenever he could, takes up just so much
of•it as he cannot possibly help, and promotes it
far less for the public welfare than in subser-
viency to his own party interests, there are
good substantial reasons for preferring the
Whigs to the Tories as Reformers.

We have received the French Journals of
Wednesday. All the news they bring of any
political importance appeared in the Afterno on
Edition of The Sun of yesterday. The following
are additional extracts from them:-
- The Utilitaire of Toulouse of the 25th has the fol- '
lowing paragraph :—" The posts hitherto held by the
National Guard were relieved yesterday evening by
troops of the line. This extraordinary measure was car-
ried into execution with all the prudence which may be
expected from an extraordinary commission of the King.
We are threatened with the dissolution of the National
Guard. If this should be true it would be the commence-
ment of a rigorous execution meditated by the Govern-
ment against the city. We recommend M. Duval to
consider on this point what it would be most proper to do
on this occasion."

The same journal says, "'We learn that the King's
extraordinary Commissioner has a municipal administra-
tion quite ready. He only waits for a favourable oppor-
tunity to make it known. It is said that he bas chosen
for this purpose the fetes of the three days. The moment
would be well chosen to inaugurate an administration
which might be designated by the name of Proconsular.
It is announced that the inhabitants of Toulouse in-
tend to raise a subscription for the purpose of presenting
a sword of honour to General St. Michel. M. Mahul had
a private audience of the King on Monday."—Le Com-
merce.

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