The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-26 00:00:00

SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION MEET-

ING AT GLASGOW.

At the conclusion of Lord Brougham's address,
and when the loud and prolonged cheering which
followed it had subsided,

Sir JOHN PAKINGTON rose and said—My lord,
ladies, and gentlemen, I trust I may be acquitted
of that presumption to which I might otherwise
perhaps be exposed in following immediately the
able, eloquent, and admirable address which we
have just heard, when I tell you that I rise for the
purpose of inviting you to yoin me in passing a
unanimous and cordial vote of thanks to our noble
and venerable president (loud cheers) and I
assure you that it is to me a matter of no small
gratification that upon this, the first occasion upon
which it has fallen to my lot to take part in any
public proceedings in Scotland, I should have to
discharge a duty so eminently congenial to my
feelings. I concur in the eloquent passage at the
commencement of the address of my noble friend,
in which he expressed a satisfaction that this fourth
meeting of this association is held in one of the
great cities of Scotland. (Cheers.) The three
first meetings have been held with eminent suc-
cess in three of the most important cities of Eng-
land ; and it was right—it was due, and lam glad
that it has been done—that this fourth meeting
should be held in one of the cities of that coun-
try in which the great objects of this association
have long excited the deepest interest, and have
been studied with most signal success. (Loud
cheers.) But I feel that this is neither the
hour nor the occasion upon which it would be
becoming in me to detain you by entering into the
nature of these objects. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
If I were to offer any remarks on what has fallen
from my noble and learned friend, with respect to
the House of Commons—(a laugh)—l am bound to
say that I, who am fresh from that house of which
he was once so distinguished an ornament—(loud
and continued cheering)—should not be able to
offer :a serious contradiction to what has fallen
from the lips of the noble lord. (Laughter and
cheers.) My noble friend has done me the honour
to advert to an effort on this subject which I ven-
tured to make some few years since, and perhaps I
may be allowed to state, in one brief sentence, my
strong and growing conviction that unless the
House of Commons does promptly and seriously
address its attention to curing those evils which
have arisen from its apparent inability to grapple
efficiently with the business of the country, that
house will soon cease to stand as high as they have
heretofore done in the esteem of their countrymen.
But I repeat it would not be becoming in me now
to comment further on what has fallen from his
lordship's lips, neither would it be becoming in me
now for a moment to attempt to allude to the
addresses which, during the next few days, will
be delivered to you by those distinguished men
who have undertaken to preside over the different
departments of this association. But, ladies and
gentlemen, there is one reflection which is forced
on my mind by this auspicious commencement of
this congress. I trust you will forgive me if I take
the liberty of partly giving expression to the
feeling which I am sure must have crossed many
minds in this vast assembly. Seeing, as we do, the
struggle now passing in other parts of Europe—
seeing how large a portion of the civilised world is
now torn by dissension or threatened by danger, or
engaged in efforts to establish their own freedom
and their own liberties—(loud cheers)—how grate-
ful ought we to feel in this favoured land—(re-
newed cheering)—living under the constitational
rule of our beloved Queen, enjoying a degree of well
regulated, long established freedom, such as no
other nation ever has enjoyed, in the midst of peace
and prosperity—how grateful ought we to feel that
we are here free to devote our attention to those
social subjects, to consider at these gatherings how
best we shall promote the gratification of the in-
telligent, the improvement of the health, and the
promotion of the general welfare of those industri-
ous thousands by whom we are surrounded. (Loud
cheers.) I trust that this association may long be
the means of contributing to these great and desi-
rable ends. I trust that each of our annual meet-
ings shall be more successful than the last. I am
sure we must all feel that it will be so so long as
we are assisted by the advice, and the counsel, and
the ability of our noble president. (Immense
cheering.) And I trust that my noble friend will
forgive me—l trust I shall be forgiven by him and
by all—if I venture in his presence to give utter-
ranee to those feelings which I know are warm in
the hearts of all who hear me, and tell you that it
is my deep feeling that this is a scene of no common
interest. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) lam sure you
must all feel with me that it is a most striking,
a most impressive sight to see that great and
illustrious man—(enthusiastic cheering)—with
unimpaired vigour of intellect, with un-
diminished force and beauty of language—(hear,
hear)—with benevolence and goodwill to mankind
—(renewed cries of " Hear,' and loud cheers)—
which seem only to be increased by age and expe-
rience—(continued cheering)—still devoting his
energies to the promotion of those measures for
the welfare of mankind which, for a period longer
than any man in this room can recollect, without
regard to colour or to race, has been a leading cha-
racteristic of his life. (Immense cheering.) In
conclusion, let me say, long may he be spared to us
to continue those noble efforts, long may he be
spared to enjoy his world-wide reputation, and to
enjoy that which to him, I am sure, is far dearer—
the esteem, the veneration, and the affection of his
countrymen. (Great cheering.)
Lord ARDMILLANr—I beg to second the motion
which has been now proposed so ably by Sir John
Pakington, and I may add, so appropriately, because
he is himself distinguished no less by his ability
than by his philanthropy and beneficence, and to
none could the task of moving such a vote of thanks
be more appropriately committed. (Cheers). Fur
myself, I feel that I hold him especially in honour
for the efforts he has recently made in behalf of
ragged and industrial schools—efforts which, I
only regret, were less successful than they deserved
to be. In seconding the motion I shall bear in
mind the lesson that we have heard of brevity of
speech and the dangers and evils of prolixity, and
therefore shall not trespass on the patine, of this