The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-26 00:00:00

the Conservatives were the party who were in the
best position for bringing forward a satisfactory
measure. A bill was brought forward, and after
much discussion and consideration it had passed the

Legislature, and had now become the law of the
land. He hoped the country would accept the bill in

a spirit of frankness and candour—that they would

"Be to its faults a little blind,
And to its merits very kind,"
and that the people would exercise the privileges
which the measure conferred upon them in a manner
which would conduce most efficiently to the welfare

of the country. (Cheers.) Amid the turmoil and
toil occasioned by the reform discussions Parliament

was hardly disposed, and had scarcely time and in-

clination to discuss any important question upon a
different subject, but at the same time there was one
question which was brought under the notice of
Parliament which was immediately connected with

the agricultural interest, namely, the report of
the commission upon the employment of women and

children in agriculture. Truly the state of things

which that report disclosed was very little creditable
to a civilised country. It appeared from the evi-

dente addressed before the commission that children
of three years old and upwards, as well as young
men and women of 16 and 18 years of age, were
huddled together to sleep in a barn, and were then
required to sally forth next morning to their labour
under the control and superintendence of a ganger
—a man whose only language was oaths, and whose
only argument was the argument of the stick. The
state of ignorance and demoralisation of the young
people in such a neighbourhood he need not further
advert to. The young people of course did the work
which they were ordered to do, and as soon as they
had concluded their labours they were out of the
control of the ganger, and were allowed to take their
own course of life for the remainder of the day.
This system, however, pertained more particularly
to those parts of the country where whole districts
had been reclaimed by drainage or otherwise, where
the population was scarce and labour had to be im-
ported from neighbouring towns, at a distance of
six or eight miles. Although this part of the country
was not exposed to the evils of the gang system, or
at any rate not in the hideous proportions to which
he had adverted, yet when he saw young lads in the
field that afternoon, working so well and so skil-
fully that they became entitled to share in the prizes
offered by the society, he could not help consider-
ing whether the education of the mind had been
made to keep pace with the education of the hands.
(Hear, hear.) He had no wish to discourage the
society, or to say one word in disparagement of
teaching young children the means of using their
hands and fitting them for those duties and em-
ployments by which they were to obtain their live-
lihood in after life. He had himself seen boys of
14 and 15 years of age brought up in the union
house who were admirably well taught, so far as
book-learning was concerned, but who hardly knew
a cow's head from her tail, and who would just as
soon have touched an elephant as go near a horse.
(Laughter.) Therefore he thought it was right
that young children should be accustomed to those
pursuits which were to form the subject of their
employment in after-life ; but in these times of
progress, of steam and machinery, it was essentially
necessary that childre❑ should have more oppor-
tunities of improving themselves and of becoming
intelligent than of yore. It was necessary, he
thought, that some means should be devised of com-
bining the education of the mind with the education
of the hands, and it was not only for the interests
of the employers and of the country at large, but of
the boys themselves, that they should acquire the
information which was so readily given to them in
our schools. (Cheers.) The boys themselves
showed how they appreciated the knowledge which
they thus acquired by the manner in which they
flocked to the evening adult schools in the long win-
ter nights. It was, therefore, desirable if it could
be done that means should be devised for combining
the two matters. It had been suggested that a boy
should be made to work half his time upon the farm,
and that he should attend school during the other
half ; and so far as his (Mr. Benyon's) limited ex-
perience went in the two or. three instances iu which
he had carried that plan out, the most satisfactory
results had been obtained. (Cheers.) But be that
as it might he was certain that any one who could
devise a means of combining the education of the
mind with the education of the hands would be a
real benefactor to his country. (Cheers.)
Col. C. H. LiNnsAv, M.P., in replying to the
next toast, also adverted to the question of Parlia-
mentary reform, and expressed a hope that the
measure which had been passed would be accepted
by the country as a settlement of reform for some
time to come. Many other important questions
affecting the trade and commerce of the country
which called loudly for legislation had been com-
pelled to remain over until reform was disposed of ;
but he trusted that they would now be taken in
hand and receive that consideration which their
importance demanded.
Some other toasts were given, and the proceedings
were brought to a close.