The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-29 00:00:00

SOCIAL SCIENCE CONGRESS.

GLASGOW, SEPT. 27.
, THE WORKING MEN'S MEETING.
At eight p.m. a meeting of working men was held in the
City Hall, in connection with and under the auspices of the

association. Almost as soon as the doors were opened the
large hall was crowded in every part. The president of the

association, Lord Brougham, entered the hall leaning on
the arm of the Lord Provost of Glasgow. His lordship's

appearance was the signal for general cheering, which
lasted several minutes, the company rising en masse and

saluting his lordship by waving of hats and shouting loud
hurrahs. Among those on the platform we observed, be-
sides Lord Brougham and the Lord Provost, Lord Rayn-
ham, Sir John Pakington, the Hon. Arthur Kinnaird.
Sheriff Sir Archibald Alison, M. Louis Blanc, Sir James
Campbell of Stracathro, the Lord Advocate of Scotland,
Sir David Brewster, &c. Miss Isa Craig, Miss Carpenter,
and Miss Bessie Parkes were also present. _ _ _

Lord BROUGHAM, on rising, was received with loud and
long-continued applause. He said—l assure you it gives
me the greatest, the most heartfelt satisfaction to find my-
self in this prodigious meeting. (Cheers.) Such an assem-
blage I never saw before collected together in any part of
the United Kingdom, and my experience of public meet-
ings has not been small, neither has it extended over a
small space of time. (Hear.) But at no period during th,

last 60 years, during which I have been in the practice oc-
casionally of attending public meetings—(a laugh)—not, as
was told most slanderously upon one or two occasions 30
years ago, when party feeling raged very high in all direc-
tions, of which, happily, we have now hardly any remains
—when it was said of me that I was in the constant habit
of attending public meetings. (Hear, and laughter.) And
we of the Association have been gratified and to a certain

degree of wonder have seen the reception we have met with
on this occasion, which has, in many respects, exceeded all
the receptions accorded to us on the three several former
occasions that we have held congresses of the association.
(Applause.) We are of no party in the State, we are of no
sect in the Church ; we open our arms wide to all parties,
without respect of person, from the highest Tory to the
greatest radical—(a laugh)—from the high churchman to
the low churchman, from the Catholic to the Protestant,
from the Jew to the Gentile ; we open our doors to all
sects, all classes, all parties, and all conditions of men
(Loud Cheers.) That you might take part, my friends and
fellow-workmen I may call you—(immense cheering)—for
I myself have been a working-man all my life. (Renewed
cheering) I began work more than sixty years ago I have
mentioned, and from that hour to this I have been a work-
ing man like yourselves, and a working man I will con-
tinue to be so long as Providence blesses me with health of
body and strength of mind to continue my efforts—(great
cheering)—but I claim no merit for this. (Hear.) I like it;
it has become my second nature ; it has become my habit ;
I cannot possibly lay it aside, and I do not see why I should
lay it aside. If I saw any reason, if I saw that the public
would be better served by my laying it aside, then I would
lay _it aside, and take the ease I might have earned, or
thought I had earned ; but till I find I can work no longer,
or there is any reason why I should work no longer, I shall
work, an,f, I will work so long as I live. (Cheers.) It is on
that account I call you my friends and fellow working
men. We belong to the same class, and I only hope and
trust that you will continue to have thathealth with which
I have been graciously blessed, and continue to be able to
work, as I am sure you are willing to work, like me.
(Cheers.) lam about to propose a resolution, which, I
think, though I have dealt very much in generalities, it is
better to propose, as it will meet, I think, the exigencies of
the case, and give you an opportunity of declaring what I
may venture to call your adhesion to our great movement
of social science, to our great pursuit of that which is for
the interest alike of all men, of all classes of the community
without distinction, and I propose that you shall resolve
"That working men, by giving attention to the principles
of social science, and communicating to this association
facts relative thereto coming under their own observation,
will aid in the discovery of laws, on the observance of
which depends the welfare of all classes of the community."
(Cheers.) Many things will occur to you from time to time,
and some things may occur unreasonable, ill-founded, either
in sense or in fact, and upon which discussion amongst
yourselves, and discussion with our committees, will throw
light ; and if there be error in your suggestions, will discover
that error ; and if you propose to go the wrong way, they
set you the right by a full and free discussion, which,
blessed be Heaven, in this country we enjoy to absolute
perfection. (Applause.) I know there are here some valued
friends of mine—l won't say from the sister kingdom merely,
for these are our fellow-countrymen—l won't say from the
neighbouring sister island Ireland only, for these also are
our fellow-countrymen ; but there are from across the chan•
nel some most worthy, enlightened, and able friends of
mine—men who honestly hold- the opinions which we en-
tertain, namely, that the progress of the people in social
science is the first object for a statesman and a philosopher
to encourage. In their presence I abstain purposely from be-
tokening any unseemly emulation in the happy fortunes of
this our country, to enjoy that unrestricted freedom of dis-
cussion in all the manner of ways to which I have just now
adverted. (Cheers.) Happily we have in every way—in
Parliament, absolutely unrestrained—through the press,
absolutely free—in public meetings, without the shadow of
a pretence that any one has the right, or, indeed, has the
desire to restrain. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) In all ways,
then, we have absolutely perfect freedom of discussion on
all subjects in church and state. (Hear, hear.) In all
matters of policy, foreign and domestic, in all branches of
social science, whick includes every branch ofpublic interest
—we have the most absolute and uncontrolled freedom of dis-
cussion. But I will venture to hope that this will not always
be confined within those four seas that surround us. (Hear,
hear, and applause.) I hype and trust that the country-
men of the excellent friends to whom I have referred are
not doomed always to labour under the same obstacles, and
difficulties, and obstructions to free discussions, but that
they will once more have what they once had, but abused
when they had it. (Hear, hear.) I would fain hope that
before we part, although I have not seen them to ask their
intentions, one of my most excellent friends, tkat most able
lawyer, who delivered one of his speeches at one or two of
our sections, as well delivered and in as good English as
any man here present could do—(cheers)—will not let us
part without letting us hear the sound of his voice. (Cheers.)
The two friends to whom I refer are M. Desmorat, an emi-
nent French lawyer, who addressed the committee under
the Lord Advocate yesterday on an important subject of
law, and my excellent friend M. Gamier Pages, who per-
fectly understands English, but does not speak it like Des •
merat. I do not hope that we shall hear hitn, but M. Pages,
who was one of the most distinguished members—next to
the late M. Arago---of the Provisional Government of 1848,
and behaved I won't say how. (Laughter.) His wise and
upright conduct saved the credit of the country, but had the
effect, by imposing a tax which was not liked by our neigh-
bours, of overturning the Government. (Laughter.) I give
you that as a sample of the honesty as well as the wisdom
of my excellent friend M. Pages; but since that time he has
not been a membei of any Government whatever. There
are other friends on the platform whom I will not stop to
name, because thir names are known to you, and arc not
unknown to ethers who are strangers here. I will now con-
clude by proposing the resolution before you, which I hope
and trust will receive the sanction of your approval, and
that you will act upon it, each in his own sphere. (Loud
applause, amid which Lord Brougham resumed his seat.)
Mr. J. WILKINSON, upholsterer, supported the resolu-
tion in a speech of some length.
Lord BROUGHAM then said—l have said that my friends
M. Desmerat and M. Gamier Pages will six ak here, but as
there was no mention made of that pre,vious to coming into
this hall, these gptlensen have not had a moment's time to
cast their ides 4 together. Yet they have agreed to tht re-
ooratandAtiou i have yentllTEl to thr9W Olt. (Great Cheer-