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

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE
PROMOTION OF SOCIAL SCIENCE.

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.
The great inaugural meeting of last night was in
every respect satisfactory, and. the interest evinced
amounted almost to enthusiasm. We now supply
in full the speeches following Lord John Russell's
• address.
Mr. HASTINGS, the hon. secretary, having read
letters of apology from Lord Stanley, who is pre-
vented from being present by his attendance on the
- Queen at Balmoral, from Lord Goderich, Mr. J. S.
Mill, the Rev. C. Kingsley, Miss Nightingale, and
others,
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY rose to propose the
first resolution—
" That the thanks of the National Association be given
to the Right Hon. Lord Brougham for his services as
founder and first president of this association."
The noble Lord said he experienced the most sin-
cere pleasure in endeavouring to do honour to a
man who had rendered such distinguished services
in this and every other department, to whom
was owing in a great measure the foundation
of the society and the good conduct and success
which had marked its progress, and who, it
was to be hoped, would be long spared to
render to the association and to many others vain-
able and effective services. (Cheers.) On such an
occasion as this it was almost impossible to re-
frain from saying a few words of gratitude and
respect for his noble and generous career. His
great and valuable services in stirring up the
country to the immense value, to the still more im-
mense necessity, of national education could
never be forgotten ; neither could his generous,
mighty, unwearied, and new, by the blessing of
God, successful endeavours for the mitigation of
the biggest wrong that ever desolated and dis-
graced mankind—the horrible and atrocious traffic
in human flesh. (Cheers.) There was not a single
effort undertaken for the benefit of the human race
which had not his sympathy and as far as he could,
give it his co-operation ; and well might he say,
according to the language of ancient times, that
which no ancient could truly have said—" I am a
man, and nothing that affects the interests of man-
kind is, or ever can be, foreign to my affections."
(Loud applause.) His advancing years, too, instead
of producing on him the effect they produced upon
ordinary men, seemed only to lead him to a renewal
of those great efforts, to the exhibition of that
masterly eloquence, and to those great and vigor-
ous sympathies that characterised all the efforts of
his earliest youth. Seeing him, therefore, standing
there, the patriarch of philanthropy, in a green
old age, entering upon a new career that even now
seemed to set at a distance all the younger por-
tions of the community, he hoped all would unite
in tendering hearty, thanks to him for the great
services he had rendered, with a hearty wish that
he might long enjoy the honours he had achieved,
and a still more hearty wish that he might be
spared by the blessing of God for further sympathy,
counsel, and co-operation in every good word and
work for the benefit of the human race.
Sir J. PAKINGTON seconded the resolution. It
was most gratifying, he said, to find that during
the intervals of Parliamentary warfare men of
different parties could assemble together upon
common ground and act cordially together for the:
public good, thus holding out to the country at large: .
a proof that, though the public men of England
might differ, and sometimes differ warmly, as to
which might be the best road to take, that all had in
view equally one great end, and that great end the
Welfare of the people. No one could dispute that the
objects of this association were closely connected
With the most important public interests, social
economy, the treatment of crime, the amendment
of the law, public health ; above all, the improve-
ment and the extension of popular education. The
interest and the importance of those objects had
been explained that night with the happiest
eloquence and the most felicitous illustration by the
noble lord in the chair ; and he rejoiced to infer from
this grand assemblage of the people of Liverpool
in that noble hall that all would join in the opinion
that these were subjects of primary importance,
and that those who valued the welfare of the
country could do no better than devote their atten-
tion to them. The best mode in which this could
be done was by thus assembling together, by thus
forming an association by means of which men of
ability and experience were brought together, who
could thus offer to each other the views they en-2
tertained, who might give, and receive information,
and might excite public interest and public atten-
tion to this most important subject. Above all, lien
hoped that it would be believed and felt by tb.k in-.
dustrious and bfthe waKkiliAclasses of this,c.intry.,'
that the objects of this*ftwakatio4l,4speei44Y.
regarded their .iut44141444.eie,;,.y/ (tle4;,
hear.) Perhaps -Might •be;'evrta,„
more conscious Or the iat fo which thanks were;
due to Lord Byon,g44iji, -Own Lord, Shaftesbitry,i,
having had the advarifitO'Of,,being a Birmingham
last year, and he could hear testimony to the ability
with which he guided their proceedings, to the in-
formation which be brought to their assistance, and
to the admirable manner in which his duties upon
that occasion were. conducted. The illustrious life
of Lord Brougham had been devoted to objects of
public interest, and to advancing the interests- of
all classes of the people ; and he never had given,
or rarely given, a more•remarkable proof of that,
or one which would be longer remembered, than
y-
bthe part he had taken in the foundation and in the
support of this institution., All men had re-
cently read a most striking proof that the great
intellect of Henry Brougham was still bright
and unclouded. (Loud cheers.) Long might it
remain so. (Renewed cheers.) Long might he
enjoy from the people of this country feelings of
well-merited gratitude.
The resolution • having been carried with
enthusiasm,
Lord BROUGHAM rose and was received with
hearty_ applause. He said,—l do assure you that
it is impossible for any person to feel more deeply
than I do—what, however, I am wholly unable to
express—my gratitude for the reception which you
have given to the remarks of my noble and right
hon. friends. It is not strictly correct to say that
I. am the founder of this association. I was a very
early associate in it. I highly approved it from
the very b9ginning, and when others who had well.
considered the subject came to me to ask my sup-
port to it and my co-operation with it, I at once
acceded to their request and accepted the office of
president of the association. (Cheers.) I have the
honour still to hold that office. My noble friend
near me is president of this local meeting of the
association ; I am still the president of the associa-
tion at large ; but I am about this instant to abdi-
cate, and I consider that I shall well perform the
duty of president this night by abdicafion in
favour of my noble friend and connexion, the presi-
dent of this meeting. (Loud cheers.) I am sure
that upon no person could that mantle which was
placed round me descend more appropriately than
upon my noble friend. (Renewed cheering.) If I
wanted any proof that he was a fit person, any
proof beyond the whole of his long and useful life
-(cheers)--a life so much devoted to the improve-
ment of the people in all branches of improvement
—L(hear, hear)—if I wanted beyond the previous
history of my noble friend a proof that he was the
fit and proper president ofthe association, I should
say you have it in what has passed this night
(loud, and continued cheering)—in that most
able, most luminous, and most useful address
with with he hits opened our proceedings of this
evening, an address in which, except where his kind-
ness led him to make some personal reference to
ny-
self, in every one word, in every one opinion ex-
pressed, even down to the very mode and manner
of expressing those opinions, I do most entirely
and-post heartily concur. (Cheers.) •If there be
one portion of it which I think more useful, and, I
may add, more forcibly and more powerfully ex-
pressed than another, it was the latter part of his
observation upon the progress of the people, upon
the character of the people, upon the means of its
improvement, upon. the helps which ought to be
given for that improvement, and to which I will
only add one single remark in illustration further
of the principles which he so powerfully and so
eloquently laid down—that the-people must 'them_
selves work out their own improvement. (Great
cheering.) There is no Royal road either to pope_
tar happiness or to popular fame. (Hear, hear.)
It is said by a poet—by a poet of the people, I will
say by Crabbe--if any one tells you of these
Royal roads to fame or to happiness, trust them
not—

" Who fame or bliss would share,
(4 Must learn with labour and must live with care."
(Cheers.) Whether people are in pursuit of dis-
tillation or of comfort, a.r of happiness and enjoy-
ment higher than comfort, there is but one road to
the fulfilment of their w):::thes, and that is hard
work, sobriety, avoiding, excess of all sorts—even
avoiding excess of hard Ivork itseif---flaughter and
applause)—no overworking, but no idleziess, no in-
temperance—and economy and frugality in the
management of their resources. (Cheers.) i ought
to apologise for having added a single wort; to
a
what has been_ so well said by my noble friend, :u1
I will only kay that, instead of further detaining
you upon the- present occasion, I intend, by God's
blessing., to-m. orrow, before our worthy vice-presi-
dents make t heir addresses to their several de-
partments, to. lay before you that which applies
equally to all t ;heir departments and to the whole
object of this great association together—a state--
ment rather of • `facts and arguments than opinions—
though opinions. Twill not disguise onvithhold—upon
the great Tax-41 nouns important subject of popular
literature, more, espeeiallypopuiar literature adapted
to all classes of. the people, combining amusement