The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-09 00:00:00

WORKING MEN'S EXCURSIONS TO THE
PARIS EXHIBITION.

A public meeting was held last night at the Whit-
tington Club for the purpose of explaining the
arrangements that had been made by the committee
of the Metropolitan District Association of Work-
ing Men's Clubs and Institutes for carrying out the
proposed excursions to the Paris Exhibition. The
meeting was well attended. Mr. Layard, M.P.,
presided, supported by Mr. Ayrton, M.P., the Hon.
A. Herbert, the Rev. G. M. Murphy, Mr. Marriott,
Mr. John Holmes, &c.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business, observed
that the present proposed excursions had been
prompted through the success that had attended a
similar organisation some four years ago, got up
under the auspices of the late Sir Joseph Paxton
and himself; upon which occasion the English arti-
sans met with such good fellowship and .cordiality
at the hands of the French as he was sure they
would never forget. (Cheers.) For the present
organisation, however, the workmen were not in-
debted in any degree to him (Mr. Layard), but to
the indefatigable efforts of Mr. Hodgson Pratt.
(Cheers.) When the project was conceived that
gentleman went to Paris, and there finding that the
proposition met with a ready and eager response on
the part of the French executive, he returned to
London, and had since completed all necessary
arrangements for carrying out the excursions. The
committee proposed that the excursions should run
over from June to October, and in order to give ge-
neral satisfaction by studying almost the individual
comfort of all who may go, they did not purpose
taking more than 200 men at a time (cheers), and
that at 30s per head, which would include their
journey and lodging, while for another 30s, making
in all £3, they proposed to take the artizan from
London, land him in Paris, feed him well while
there, pay for his daily ticket to the Exhibition,
and obtain for him free entrée to most of the public
buildings where works of art were to be seen.
(Cheers.) He (the chairman) hoped, if they could
get rid of the unfortunate bill that was stopping the
way of everybody, to accompany the first 200
workmen the week before Whitsuntide. (Cheers.)
lie then detailed at some length the many objects
of attraction to be seen in the Exhibition, and
after stating that the French authorities had pro-
mised to do all in their power to make the trip of
the working men of London as pleasing and agree-
able as possible, he concluded by expressing a hope
that all those who contemplated availing themselves
of this means of going to Paris would register their
names at once, in order that the committee might
know whether the working men really meant to
support them in what they had done. (Cheers.)
Mr. HODGSON PRATT explained that he had had
an interview with a commission specially appointed,
and that the result was the granting of certain
public buildings by the Emperor for the accommo-
dation of the London citizens, to whom they had
promised the same facilities and comforts that
would be given to the workmen of their own coun-
try. (Cheers.) He afterwards related his visit t o
various restaurants, for the purpose of ascertaining
where the excursionists could be best accommodated
with food. He mentioned three or four places
where they could get an excellent dinner for 13d.
So that those who preferred it could pay 30s for
their return journey and lodging, and board them-
selves ; but what. the committee proposed was, to
give them everytbing--double journey, good lodg-
ing, good food, and the daily entrée to the Exhibi-
tion, for £3, which he (Mr. Pratt) thought many an
excursionist would find cheaper than staying at
home. (Cheers.)
Mr. AYRTON, in a very humorous speech, pointed
out the inconsistency of any man seeking intelli-
gence making the " inward man" his first conside-
ration, and moved the following resolution, which
was seconded and carried in the usual way :
" That it is highly important to the industrial inte-
rest of this country that English artisans should
have every facility for visiting the Paris Exhibition,
and that the arrangements made for that object by
the Paris excursion committee of the Metropolitan
District Association of Working Meu's Clubs and
Institute are such as to deserve general confidence
and approval. That as it is not desirable that those
members of the committee who have given their
valuable services gratuitously should incur whatever
pecuniary liability may arise in carrying out their
organisation, the great employers of labour, manu-
facturers, and others interested in the industrial
progress of the country should be invited to join the
committee in raising a guarantee fund of £1,500."
A third resolution was carried, to the effect that
it was most desirable the English artisans visiting
the Exhibition should direct their attention to the
present condition of industry and fine arts in
France, and that a fund be subscribed for the pur-
pose of allotting prizes for the best reports by artisan
excursionists.

The usual compliments to the chairman closed the
proceedings.

EVIVERSI7T INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, MAC 8.

In a Convocation to be holden on Thursday, the
16th inst., at 2 o'clock, it will be proposed that the
Rev. Edward Keddington Bennet, M.A., of Uni-
versity College, be permitted to commute from that
degree to the degree of 8.C.L., and to proceed
forthwith to D.C.L.

The Professor of Mineralogy (Mr. Storer Maske-
lyne) Will commence a course of lectures on the
silicates, in the lecture-room at the Museum, on
Tuesday, the 14th inst., at 2 o'clock.

CAMBRIDGE, MAY 8.
A numerous and highly influential meeting was
held in the Senate-house to-day, in furtherance of
the Palestine Exploration Fund. The Vice-Chan-
cellor occupied the chair, and the meeting was ad-
dressed by a deputation from the committee of the
fund, consisting of the Dean of Westminster, Lord
Henry Scott, M.P., the Rev. 11. B. Tristram, Mr.
Cyril Graham, Lieutenant Anderson, R.E., and
Mr. Grove, the hon. secretary, as well as by the
Dean of Ely, Professor Sedgwick, the Rev. G.
Williams, and Professor C. C. Babington. Resolu-
tions were passed pledging the meeting to the gene-
ral support of the objects of the fund, the investiga-
tion of the archaeology, topography, physical geogra-
phy, and natural history of the Holy Land, and a
cc'mmitte~e was appointed, consisting of many of the,
leading members of the University, to raise funds for
the support of the undertaking. A suggestion was
made by the Rev. G. Williams that a grant should
be made to the object out of the fund accumulated
by the suppression of the Wort's Travelling Bache-
lorships, which were done away with by the new
statutes a few years since, with permission to apply
the money to the promotion of antiquarian or
scientific researches in foreign countries, and other
objects within the scope of the present investiga-
tion. This suggestion appeared to meet with the
commendation of the meeting, and was warmly re-
commended to the consideration of the Vice-Chan-
cellor and the University Council. The meeting
separated, with a vote of thanks to the Vice-Chan-
cellor and the Rev. T. G. Bonney, the local secre-
tary. A large collection of photographs, taken by
the agents of the fund, were exhibited in the Arts'
School, and excited much interest.
The Lectures of the Professor of Moral Philo-
sophy during the present term will be on the fol-
lowing subjects :—On the 11th and 14th, " The
Family and its Manners;" on the 18th and 21st,
" The Nation and its Manners ;" on the 25th and
25th, "Christendom and its Manners ;" and on
June 1 and 4, " The Modern Idea of Humanity."
At the meeting of the Cambridge Philosophical
Society on Monday next a communication will be
made by the Dean of Ely "" On Modern Musical
Scales."

ARRIVAL OF THE PERA.—The Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steamer Pen arrived at Southampton
yesterday. She left Gibraltar on the 2d, and on the same
du spoke the Delta, on the 3d theNyanzaand the General
Lee, on the 7th the Hermann, the British ship Shannon,
and the French ship Arequipa ; the two latter were steer-
ing up Channel. The British war-ships lately at Gibraltar
left on the 2d for Malta. The transport Orontes and the
French transport Allier were at Gibraltar. The Pera
brings 19 passengers, but no mails or cargo, haying come
home to repirs.