The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-13 00:00:00

with instruction—innocent, harmless. improving
amusement, with solid instruction ; and chiefly
that which comes periodically before the public in
all parts of the country and at all seasons of the
year. I ought now to say one word which applies
to myself rather than to the body of my friends
near me, in connection with this meeting. So large
a meeting as this, in every point of view so respect-
able and so interesting—long and great as has been
my experience of large assemblies—l certainly
never before assisted at. It gives me the greatest
pleasure to have met my old Mends e Liverpool
again. (Cheers..) lam afraid it is now somewhere
about 46 years ago that I first came among you.
We were then split up into various parties—many
factions in the State—not a few in the Church;
but, as my right hon. friend the First Lord of the
Admiralty has stated, it is most comfortable, it is
most delightful, one might add, to be able to meet
together on a subject which puts to silence all
factious differences, whether they be civil or whe-
ther they be clerical, and where all sects and all
parties may cordially unite in efforts for the im-
provement of all the people. I could not avoid
saying how happy I was to meet my old Liverpool
friends on an occasion of such paramount import-
ance. It grieves me to add, Ido not meet, Heaven
knows, all those friends. That is too painful a
subject to dwell upon ; and I say no more than
that. even with this lamentation, it gives me un-
feigned pleasure to have met you here to-night.
(Loud and protracted cheering.)
The Earl of CARLISLE moved the next resolu-
tion : ,

" That the thanks of the meeting be given to Lord John
Russell for the address which he has just delivered."

All had listened to that address with pleasure and
delight, which, eloquent, clear, and comprehen-
sive, and thus attractive to all ears and minds,
would still be best appreciated by those most con-
versant with the several subjects dealt with. But,
over and above this address, every one present
would bear in mind the incidents of an illustrious
life and the qualities of a virtuous character. It
having fallen to his lot to serve in several capaci-
ties under his noble friend, he felt the greatest
satisfaction in doing so once more in connexion
with this association. _ _ _

Sir J. K. SHUTTLEWORTH seconded the motion,
and bore testimony to the personal share which
Lord J. Russell had taken, both in office and out of
office, in the promotion of measures for the advance-
ment of education, the improvement of prison dis-
cipline, the establishment of reformatories for the
young, and the amendment of the Poor-law. His
lordship, he added, had ever been forward in all
these questions, and had not shrunk from the risk
of introducing them before they had become po-
pular.
The motion having been carried with unanimous
acclamation,

Lord J. RUSSELL rose to reply. He said—l beg
leave to return you, ladies and gentlemen, my
grateful thanks for the honour you have done me ;
but I do not know that I can so well thank my
friends, Lord Carlisle and Sir J. Shuttleworth, be-
cause sometimes praise that is overdpne may injure
the object of it—(cheers and a laugh)—and I could
not but feel that their praise went far beyond any
merits that I may have. But I wish to say a word
or two with respect to the address which I read to
you to-night. I was somewhat afraid that going
into so many statistical details—which are of them-
selves dry—would appear to you hardly suited to
a great public and popular audience; but I have
observed in this country with regard to many sub-
jects, that people do not lace to undertake them—
to put themselves to any great trouble about them
—to move in them, in fact, at the sacrifice of time
and other exertions, unless they see before them not
only that the object is a worthy one, but that there are
practicable and safe means of accomplishing it.
Now, I wished to show you—l will not say with
regard to education, but with regard to prison dis-
cipline and the improvement of-health and other
matters, and that those means are practicable, and
that by exertion they may very well be attained.
(Cheers.) What I have felt on these subjects before
Lordßrougham presided at the association last year
was, that though very able men wrote works on
them, though there were pamphlets and blue-books
in abundance on them, and much was proved, yet
that there was not such a force of public opinien as
to act with effect upon the Legislature of the coun-
try. (Hear, heary My right hon. friend Sir J.
Pakington, I think, would say the same thing ;
because, without any party differences, I am sure
we have seen sometimes part of the House of Com-
mons, perhaps forming a majority, who have not
studied these subjects and had not attended to them,
putting obstacles in the way of that which was really
for the benefit of the country, but with regard to
which there was no active public opinion, and with
regard to which therefore they had not given them-
selves the trouble of investigation. I trust that
what occurred at Birmingham last year, and is oc-
curring at Liverpool now, will produce such a force
of public opinion that great improvements may be
made on all these subjects. My duty upon this oe-
casion—for I certainly have not come here for any
purposes of display—is, I believe, to make myself
as useful as I can in these matters. lam delighted
to see that there is so much attention given to them,
and I quite agree with my noble friend Lord
Brougham, that it is by inducing the people them-
selves to undertake these matters that we shall really
arrive at a beneficial result. (Cheers.) I have ob-
served that there are some persons who seem rather
nervously alarmed at the attention which is paid to
these subjeots of social science ; because they argue
that people will get so run away with by these
favourite objects of public health, sanitary improve-
ment, reformatories, and prison discipline, that
they will have no time to attend to the politics of
the country—to those questions which my right
hon. friend Sir J. Pakington and I so often discuss
in the House of Commons, and on which we have
the misfortune so frequently to differ. (A laugh.)
I think that that is a very needless apprehension;'
because, much as we like these subjects, there is so
much excitement in a good Parliamentary political
debate—a great deal of sarcasm and indignation
and eloquence is thrown from one side to the other
—and these matters are so much more interesting
and so much more easy to investigate—
Lord BROUGHUM—Besides, it is so much more
pleasant to be abused than to be praised. (Laughter.)
Lord J. RUSSELL—My noble friend adds that it
so much more pleasant to be abused than to be
praised, and that reminds me of an observation of a
man who certainly was no excessive lover of his
kind, Dean Swift, who said that panegyric had
always a good deal of poppy in it. (Laughter.)
That certainly is very apt to be the case. Therefore
I think we may rely upon it, whatever attention
we may pay to these subjects, that when the House
of Commons meets again we shall be quite as warm
as ever with regard to our political differences. I
always listen to my right hon. friend Sir J. Pak-
ington with great pleasure, because he not only
speaks with great ability, but he does not misre-
present his opponents. Still, listening to him with
great pleasure, I am afraid that we shall find, as
heretofore, that we shall have many great subjects
of difference. But, laying these subjects aside for
the present, I must remind you that m the ques-
tions in which we are now engaged there is great
need of patient investigation; and while we are
speaking on this subject from the platform I must
say that the persons to whom the utmost credit is
due are those men to whom I have alluded, who
have not been able hitherto to collect public opinion
into great force, who have not been able to direct it
with great power, but who, in their several capaci-
ties of lawyers, political economists, and physicians
I have patiently inquired-into these subjects, have at a
great sacrifice of time (and in the case of the medi-
cal profession at a great risk of health and of life
also) devoted themselves to the improvement of their
fellow creatures. I feel that we all sink into insig-
nificance when compared with those men whom fame
has not reached. I have only again to thank you
for the reception which I have met this evemng,
and to repeat that it far exceeds my deserts. (The
noble lord resumed his seat amid loud cheering,
and the assemblage immediately dispersed.)
The arrangements connected with this vast
gathering were admirable ; and if to Mr. Hastings,
the hon. secretary, and Mr. G. Medley, the local
secretary, the credit of their conception is due, Mr.
Mackenzie is entitled to thanks for the manner in
which he carried them into execution.
TUESDAY, OCT. 12.

This morning's proceedings were opened by the
fulfilment of Lord Brougham's promise to deliver
an address on " Popular Literature." The elegant
concert room of St. George's-hall was crowded long
before the hour appointed, and, as on the previous
evening, the ladies formed a large proportion of the
audience. At 11 o'clock his lordship, accompanied
by the principal members of the Association and
the distinguished visitors whose names we have
given already, made his appearance on the plat-
form, and delivered the following' address :—lt is
an unspeakable relief to those who undertake the
discussion of matters connected with the progress
of improvement that they are no longer called upon
to demonstrate the fundamental propositions a few
including of course tl:* safety, of
years ago the subject of controversy, and especially
the expediency,
diffusing knowledge of every description among all
classes of the people. The days have long gone by
when it was deemed necessary for the peace of
society, first that learning in general, then that at
any rate political science, should be confined to
the upper orders of the community, as if the hum-
bler ranks were either incapable of comprehend-
ing it or unfit to be intrusted with it. As-
suredly it would not be easy now even for
those enemies of progress to draw this line, those
who ground their political creed upon their religious
feelings, when they call to mind the grand diversity