The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-07 00:00:00

NE WSPAPER.
- „
hoe done us and the reception which I have ';3; (Enthusiastic applause.) e 9,
-• •
Lord and Lady Palmerston afterwards visited 4c.
change and other parts of the citye 0 r )L.
lee ASA- -eorr, e
LORD PALMERSTON AT THE MECHANI :fre
• - ea,
INSTITUTION.
At 8 o'clock in the evening a meeting of the Manchester
Mechanics' Institution was held in ,the Free Trade Hall,
which was densely crowded.
x. 3ro Sir
Brother-
ton, B.
On the platform we observed the EarliofHeywood, Sir F. Armitage, the Mayor of Manchester, the
the Mayor of Salford, Mr. W. Brown, M.P., Wilton,
hf
ton, M. p., Rev. Di. Vaughan, Professor A. Scott, Messrs.
T. Bazley, J. A. Turner, E. Watkin, J. Heron, W. Fair- •
bairn, C.D., etc. '
The chair was taken by the president, Mr. 0. Heywood,
who addressed the meeting at some length, and gave in
interestiv sketch of the history of the institution.
Lord PAesennseoer(veho wasroceived with great cheering)
then said,—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen—lt is impossible
for any Englishman to be present on this occasion, in this
magnificent building, and amid the vast assemblage that
have the honour to see around me, without feeling proud •
of the country to which he has the happiness to belong
—(cheers)—and if any Englishman must be animated
with such feelings on an occasion like the present, how
much more gratifying must it be to one of those who
merelyti in
are charged with the conduct ,of the administration
of the country, and who cannot but feel yet deeper •
satisfaction and additional pride
in
ntt ofp la
itson of
heeontem
that which is an indication not merely of the Pro-
gressiee wealth of the country, not
creasing intelligence, but which is also a proof of th•
spread of those sentiments_ and sympathies between the
different classes of society which are the sweet- foun-
dation of the welfare and prosperity of an empire ?
We are assembled iu a building which in its splendour '
is worthy either of an emperor of the present day or of
one of those great commercial States which in the earlier
periods of history played so powerful and prominent a part
in the affairs of the world- (cfieers)—but it is an edifice re-
. naarkalala-not only for the magnificence of its-struare, but-
for the purpose to which it has been applied and for the
cordial support it has manifestly received from those wh •
are collected within its walls. There are two remarkable
circumstances peculiarly distinctive of the times in which
we live—the principle of co-operation for common objects
and the general diffusion of knowledge. In former times
there were Many men eminent in all branches of human
learning, but, as regards the great masses of mankind, the
avenues of knowledge were to a certain degree closed, but
the arrangements of later periods, which are improving
from day to day, tend to diffuse among the great mass of
the community, or, at all events, among all who are willing
to receive instruction, the results of the labours of science
and the frets of the investigations of the learned, and
for these purposes the institutions of which this is so die;
tieguished a member are undoubtedly well deserving of
encouragement and support. The, intellectual qualities
as well as the moral feelings of our nature are scared
broadcast over the face of the earth. We find them
everywhere, in the lowest classes as in the highest. Their
development depends on the opportunities which are
offered for their culture, and it is to these institutions that
we are indebted for the faculties whit& are so advanta-
geously presented. In this country, fortunately, the road
to wealth and to honours is open to all. Some of those
among us who have filled the most distinguished situations
have sprung from the humblest position, and have raised
themselves by their talent and good conduct. The great
merit of these institutions is, that, whereas the labouring
classes are unable by their own unaided exertions to obtain.
access to those books and those means of instruction which
aro necessary for the development of their intellects, and
whereas their hours 6f leisure are so few as to afford them
but little opportunity for mental culture, you open to
them the whole range of the treasure of science, and,
whatever line their genius may be beat adapted to follow,
you furnish them with the means of cultivating their fa-
culties and thus increase their knowledge, and, through
their knowledge, their happiness. (Cheers.) Man is en-
dowed with a double nature—the moral and the intellec-
tual. Both contribute to his pleasure and happiness ; his
moral enjoyments are independent of external support, they
begin with his home and constitute his domestic attach-
ments ; extending a little further they assume the cha-
racter of friendship, in a wider range they become love
of country and patriotism, and with a still further develop-
ment they take the shape of benevolence and philanthrophy.
Those pleasures are within the reach of every man, and no
man needs assistance to enable him to enjoy that happiness
which consists in the exercise of his affections, but his intel-
lectual qualities require assistance for their development. It
is true that knowledge is power, but assuredly those who
afford the labouring classes the means of acquiring knowledge
contribute not merely to their advancement in life, but else
to their innocent and laudable enjoyments. (Cheers.) Great
respect, no doubt, is due to axioms and old sayings, but, at
the same time, it must be admitted that though they may be
generally correct they sometimes mislead the judgment
We have often beard the same quoted from the words of one
of our great poets, that
" A little learning is a dangerous thing,
" Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring." - _
I hold that is a mistake, and much error has it produced.
A little knowledge is better than no knowledge at all. The
more knowledge a man has the butter, but if his time and
the means at his disposal do not permit of his acquiring deep
and accurate knowledge, let him have has much as he can,
and depend upon it, he will be all the better for it ; and al-
though he may net be able to drink deeply of that spring, if
his lips have once tasted of it he will go back to the same de-
licious waters whenever lie has an opportunity, and his
draughts, be they great or small, will refresh his fancy, invi-
gorate his intellect, raise him in the scale of civilisation, con-
tribute to his individual happiness, and make him a more use-
ful and honourable member of society. The first object of in-
struction ought to be that which we have been told is the mean-
ing of education—to teach a man how to live, and to teach a
man how to live, his attention ought first to be directed to that
pursuit to which he means to devote himself through life' •,
there, indeed, he should drink deeply, and these he should.,
endeavour to perfect his knowledge,. but should he- on that
account not endeavour to enlarge his- mind, to extend his
views, and obtain information on other matters not connected
with the business of his profession? Then we may be told
that we will make him a mere smatterer in knowledge, _to
which I reply that it is better for a man to be a smatterer
than to be ignorant and uninstructed. There are many lines
of information which it is most e•sential for a working man
'to pursue, but from which, were it not for institutions such
as this, he would be hopelessly excluded. In the first place,
there are certain laws of nature of which some regulate the
trade in which he is employed, some govern and control his
industry, and on others depend the wellbeing of his existence,
and yet those laws are not to be known by the simpleminded
man. They are the result of deep reflection and long experi-
ence, and can only be ascertained by consulting the works - of
those who have minutely investigated and carefully explained
If a man were to enter a town of some foreign coun-
try,them.
where there were laws the violation of which was
attended with pain, imprisonment, or it may be, with death,
would he not be deemed mad if he did net take the earliest
opportunity to make himself acquainted with those enact-
ments, so that he might avoid the penalties attached to their
infringement ? Yet there are laws of nature applicable to the
daily pursuits of men which, if not attended to, inflict bodily
pain in the form of disease, imprisonment in the shape of the
loss of corporeal powers, and even death, through the ne-
glect of those sanitary conditions en which life depends. How
important, then, it is that the working classes should be
made aware of those natural law, and regulations which are
indispensable to tiwir own welfare and to that of their fami-
lies, And why should not a life of labour be now and then
cheered by the cultivation of the imaginative faculties ?
(Cheers.) Why should not a day of fatigue be relieved iu the
evening by the occasional indulgence in the pleasure of poe-
try, and in that delightful enjoyment which the best works
of fiction impart? Such occasional recreations, though they
ought not to be the sole object of reading, are nevertheless
useful, by giving buoyancy to the intellict and inspiring the
mind with noble sentiments and feelings which deserve to be
•
cultivated. You cannot expect that a working man having
but a small portion of time to• devote to pursuits of this de-
scription should become an historian, but why should be
not, by the aid of books well adapted for the purpose, gain
a general knowledge of the history of this country, learn
something of the rise, decay, and fall of empires, and judge
of the causes which contribute to :national prosperity and to
national ruin ? Your institution furnishes the means where-
by the working man may inform hieeself on these gre_at mat-
ters, and obtain clear ideas on many other subjects of
ofthe
impor-
tance ; why should he not have some knowledge I
constitution of the universe? I may be asked
whethercalculate
would make him an astronomer, or expect him
tothe course
eclipses, describe the orbits of comets, ox ex-,lucile': the media-
e? the planets. By no means ; but of all 7:11,00
has little
rrieen of the universe is that of which a
earhalin an insight by
leteurO at his disposal may most
nevi believes that
study and .careful calculation. An Ig
noorld, that this planet is
result of deep
the lenoveledge of those facts whei;iiirracenttite
his comeery is the only one in the
the only gr`3%t P moon to light him home,
firmament mwely to warm him, the
journey ; but when he is
and the stars to amuse him on the
v..lers.
the contemplation
led into the see:Tets of that vast,:te,i
his views become liberal
Portion of creation, thatw the sun is placed in the
of which fills the' min! ith
is raised above the ordinary gro-
velling ideas of life', "-
es (Loud cheers.) It is clear, there-
what he had beeuk prOmOtesUChdesirable objects are
fore, that institutions es„ pp ort of the people; they are pe-
'l°3 -dinlide finds himself a superior being ee
whic
eminently deserving °
habits of the British nation, and they
'lnce wi culiarly congenial to e *th the spirit of the British con-
are singularly in accor
ring together the different classes of so-
stitution. They tout toiL
y, the bonds ofgood fellowship, allaying
ciety, combinhee the! tin g their asperities, and causing them to
I.:.e)tion for the general benefit
theirjealousies, mitig,a
I beg to congratulate the
efore, on the noble institution of
people of Manchester,
sn. I felicitate them on having
hich this hall is the titan,
Lions of a • sim ar nature, and I
,ch is supported by so vast and
other institu
of
iotrhke togethercommonwealth. iinh a m rhtuf€L7 e
led the way for
have now the honour to influential 'an assemblage as I
of a system wle.
ad-
dress. Rely upon it that, much of
as the fame and reputation
this great city may depend i
augur well
is col:menial prosperity, its
accumulated wealth, and its v vie mercantile intercourse with
the remotest regicide of the eaertk I, there is nothing that will
more conduce to your honmere -
nothing on which yon will
reflect with greater satisfaction- -4 tothing by which you will
be greater contributors to the, h appiness of your country,
f
than the efforts you are now male'
-g to educate thosewio
themselves have pot the means tn.& squiring that
u knowledgethat
sred
which it is fitting that they should P Be a-eno reason to
as long as you go *din that course 3 'Ol I will havn.
You will
on
regret any time or trouble it may e at: reyoraising in the
have the satisfaction of feeling the t YOU
;'Oll, and you will
social scale those who are dependent n. %%lotions which your
be rewarded not only ,by the grateful e that you will see
benefits will evoke, hilt by the knowledg
, Lure a race of men
rising annually under your parental cu. a deserving of the
more and more intelligent, more and mot a and conducing
fostering care that you bestow upon then ;try, and to the
more and more to the honour of their coin ey live. (Enthn.
power and prosperity of the land in which th
siastic applause,) d the meeting
Professor Scott and Dr. Vaughan addressee t ten o'clock.
at eeale length, and the procee :ings terminated