The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-17 00:00:00

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PRICE 4". STAMPED, SD.

thin—looking at the ability with which they are
written, in their descriptions of facts occurring in
all parts of the world—looking at the reviews of
literary works which we find in them, even if news-
papers were the only literary food presented in
these reading-rooms, I would still advocate the
room being open, provided it was confined to news-
papers, which it is evidently not desirable it should
be ; but I would not withdraw the newspapers from
those reading-rooms, or attempt to divert men from
the perusal of newspapers by excluding them from
the room where other works are kept, because I
believe that even from newspapers much valuable
instruction and information may be gained—espe-
cially as they are conducted in the present day.
(Loud applause,) But again, let me just for a mo-
ment advert to what I see alluded to in the report,
viz.; works of fiction. I see that a prize was offered
for the best essay upon the expediency of admitting
or excluding works of fiction from those libraries
which are connected with mechanics' institutes..
Now, no essay has as yet been produced on this
subject, and Ido not know what view may be
taken of it hereafter. I see the report rather invites
opinion on it, and expresses a hope that what has
been matter of such difference of opinion, and which
it is sorry to see has given rise to some ill-feeling,
may be set at rest by the free consideration of it.
First of all let me make the observation that I think
it most unfair to authors of works of fiction to class
them together as a whole and to draw a broad line
of distinction between works of fiction and those
works which are not works of fiction. Some works
of fiction contain admirable morals ; sonic works of
fiction contain instruction of the highest character,
mid in_a form in which. perhaps no other works can
coffi-ey
_it; and I think it -would be most injurious
to the interests of those connected with those read-
ing-rooms if works of this kind were excluded. I
should, therefore, tender my humble advice to the
council of this association, if they are called upon
to lay down any rule on the subject, not to think
of excluding all works of fiction, because they
would thus exclude what were deeply interesting
to the great body of readers who frequent reading-
rooms, and which will also be calculated to con-
vey to them the highest moral instruction. Let
me just advert to one book as an example, be-
cause it is not written by a countryman of our
own—l mean " Uncle .rrom's Cabin." (Ap-
plause.) Who here, however much he may ob-
ject to some works of fiction, will say that
" Uncle Tom's Cabin"—a work of fiction—ought
to be altogether withdrawn from the perusal of the
working classes, there being. many of them who
have no opportunity of seeing works of this kind
except through these reading-rooms ? (Loud
applause.) The wise rule will be to look at the
character of the work from its intrinsic merit rather
than to draw any arbitrary, rule, which I am sure
—speaking my own opinion—would be most in-
jurious to the interests of those for whose benefit
those institutions are intended, and would tend
very much to defeat the object which those have in
view who are zealous in the promotion of those
institutions. (Loud applause.) Passing by the
newspapers and those literary works the class of
which I think ought to find a place in those read-
ing-rooms, I see there is a subject of great congratu-
lation presented to-day—that we have a number of
books published from time to time which are not
ephemeral—which are not works of fiction, but
which possess as deep an interest as can be pos-
sessed by any work of fiction, while they are cal-
culated in the highest degree to elevate the minds
of those who read them. Let me just refer to some
of those which have been published within the last
year. Take the life of a man we may almost call
our own, George Stephenson-L-(loud cheers)—a man
of whom the north of England may justly be proud.
Who is there that can read that life of George
Stephenson—looking at his early struggles for
knowledge, unaided by any of those advantages
which mechanics' institutes in the present
day afford to men similarly circumsta need, labour-
ing to make the best use of that intellect which
God had implanted in him—labouring with a
success which made him one of the first men in
Europe—without feeling the deepest interest in the
narrative, and without feeling himself a better man
for the attentive perusal of that work ? (Applause.)
George Stephenson was a self- educated man;
but while he laboured against all disadvantages
saccessfully in cultivating that intellect with
which God had endowed him he did not overlook
the immense advantages which the means of high
education aftbrd, but he gave his son—the present
idistinguished, man who bears his name—the very
-beat education which it was in his power to
command, showing how much he appreciated the
means of obtaining that knowledge which is con-
ducive to the highest ends. Well, then, let us turn
from the life of George Stephenson to the life of a
man who moved in a totally different sphere, and
whom, I am also proud to say, we may claim for
the north of England. Who is there that has read
any of those short and interesting memoirs that
have lately been published of that great and la-
mented soldier, General Havelock—(applause)-:-.
who does not feel the deepest interest, and feel that
there is the highest instruction to be obtained in

the perusal of the life of such a man as that, mov-
ing in a different sphere, and setting an example
which some of us, from our different circumstances,

may think we might not be able to follow, but still
acting from a motive which must and ought to in-
fluence all—the highest motive which ought to
regulate the conduct of men. Then, again, who is
there that has read the narrative of the heroic
defence of the beleaguered city of Lucknow by the
garrison, cut off as they were from all intercourse
with their fellow-countrymen, that does not admire
s':'• it -..v1; 1, 11 a :11In .;ted them, and feel himself
incited to the highest deeds by reading the matter-
of-fact commemoration of their daily trials and
their daily exertions ? (Loud applause.) I will
mention another book which has only been pub-
lished very recently, since the last meeting of the
association, and which will not, therefore, be gene-
rally known, viz., " English 'Hearts and English
Hands," written by anEnglish lady, and recording
in the most simple terms her experience among a
class of men whose rough exterior and demeanour
repels most men—l mean the men employed in
making railways—and showing that beneath that
rough exterior there is a soil well worthy of culti-
vation—a generous and noble feeling only requir-
ing to be called out by kindly intercourse with one
who has most nobly devoted herself to their Wel-
fare. (Applause.) This book speaks of English-
men in a way that is of thrilling interest, and con-
veys this important lesson. " Go thou and do like-
wise." We may not all be able to do what she
did, but let every one be animated by the same ex-
cellent feelings towards our fellow-creatures as she
was, and then there will not be wanting the means
by which they may benefit those around thenis
whatever their sphere of influence may be. People
will not read because they are told to read, and be-
cause they are told a book is a good book ; but if
they find a book full of deep interest, full of nar-
rative and facts, and all the more interesting be-

cause they arc facts, that is the way in which, I am
sure, we will get those reading-rooms frequented.
They should attract people to them, and thereby
carry on a successful competition against the tavern,
the ale-house, and the beer-shop. (Loud applause.)
_ _

In connexion with these reading-rooms, I certainly
think it is most important that means should be
found for extending the itinerating libraries. There
are some neighbourhoods, no doubt, in which books
may be procured, and in which good local libraries
may be established ; but even those libraries must
be fixed libraries • and the time may come, perhaps,
when they may be read through, and there is a
great advantage in having a change of books, and
if these itinerating libraries—such. libraries I pre-
sume not always being of the same kind, but vary-
ing in the character and description of its books—
if these itinerating libraries are sent about to re-
mote villages and hamlets, and are there detained
for three months, and then changed for others, you
keep the interest, which otherwise would flag ; and
I think it of the
.greatest importance that these
itinerating libraries should be as widely diffused as
possible. I trust, therefore, that the appeal lately
made by the council to the public liberality to
enable them to continue and extend this very use-
ful part of their agency will be responded to, as I
am sure it ought to be, most liberally. (Applause.)
I will just, then, advert for a moment or two now
before I sit down to allusions which have been
made towards the conclusion of the report to the
complaint which has been made by some--they
are termed ignorant people, and I believe,
generally speaking, that ignorant and perhaps not
very zealous friends of education do complain—
that these mechanics' institues have been .failures.
We very often hear it said that they are failures.
In one respect, and to a limited extent, they cer-
tainly have not answered the reasonable—l don't
say sanguine—expectations of those by whom they
were first advocated, and by.whom they have been
supported. I mean that there has been apathy
which was hardly expected among the great body
of the working people. They have not shown that
interest in- mechamcs'" institutes, that desire to
avail themselves of the benefits which one hoped

and expected `would have been the case—l-mean to
theeztent to which one hoped and expected it