The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-19 00:00:00

The Earl of llarrowby o I Education.

The annual general meeting of the subscribers to
the Birmingham and Midland Institute was held
on Monday evening ; the Earl of Harrowby, K.G.,
the president, in the chair. his lordship was ac-
companied by the Mayor and by several officers,
past and present, of the institute.
The noble PRESIDENT, in moving the adoption of
the report, said the report had informed them that

the institute was going on increasing, and it was, in

deed, most satisfactory to know from that exceedingly
able document that the most intelligent progress
was being made, not only in one direction, but in
all directions. It had appeared to him at a meet-
ing that he had attended that morning that an
institution of their town—the Children's Hospital—
was in a very satisfactory state ; and he was re-
joiced to find that that institution was also in a
sound condition. In the first place, the subscribers
last year were 641, now they are 710—a notable in-
crease. The industrial department showed an increase
of nearly 30 per cent., there being about 300 persons
in attendance upon the classes. Indeed, this was a
most remarkable increase, and one calculated to en-

courage in the highest degree those engaged in
the good work. At the corresponding period of
last year there were 1,067 in attendance upon the
industrial lectures, and there appeared to have been
at the corresponding period of last year an attend-
ance of no less than 1,371. (Applause.) Indeed,
the figures disclosed a very satisfactory state of

things; not only was it encouraging in regard to
the number, but it was also encouraging in regard to
the gravity of the subject. There was, besides, a
very considerable increase in one of the more enter-

taiuing departments—in a department not sc purely
intellectual. The singing class had increased from
169 to 278. That was very well—(hear)—it was
Pleasing to see progress made in one of the great
accomplishments which are a charm to existence.
(Applause.) lie was glad to see this, because itwas
not merely an ornament, but an aid to intellectual
development. There was one very satisfactory in-
crease--or what he should rather term a creation—
and that was the class for Latin. (Hear.) Although
he was no worshipper of Latin, and although he bad
denounced the practice of compelling the learning
of Latin in preference to other languages, yet still
when he found that at once, after the starting of
the class, in the first term, there should be so large
a number as 93 in the Latin class-93 who without
any immediate hope of reward sat down to the
learning of a difficult language, the benefit of which
was in the future, in the development of their men-
tal capacity, of the understanding, of the power of
thought and expression and style—when, he said,
he saw these results they were very encouraging,
and left no doubt whatever of the benefit to be de-
rived from the Latin class now in full operation.

(Applause.) The increase also of the French class,
which had always been a very popular class, showed
that it still maintained its popularity. Then as to
the lectures—the penny lectures were an increasing
attraction. They had been delivered from time to
time by persons eminent in science and literature,
and no doubt they had been the cause of attracting

considerable numbers to their walls. The increase
in chemistry was very considerable, and the class
presented all the features which one would look for
in a satisfactory work of the kind, which was not
merely an exercise for the understanding, but a most
charming pursuit, that could but interest every one
who joined in it, and promote not only a better
knowledge of the subject, but lead to new disco-
veries. (Hear, hear.) It was not only desirable,
but it was necessary that a knowledge of chemistry
should be spread among the population of
Birmingham, a populatiou composed of so many
industries with which the science was connected.
There was one point which struck him as a stranger,
and perhaps it was because he was a stranger, and
that was the small number who attended to study

practical mechanics. (Hear.) Ile believed, if he
read the figures correctly,they only numbered about
20, out of a population of two or threehundred thou-
sand people. It was singular, at least it appeared so
to him, that out of so dense a population, out of so
vast a number of industrial people devoted to
practical mechanics of all kinds, there should be
only so small a proportion as 20 willing to devote
themselves to the study of practical mechanics.
This seemed at first sight rather remarkable; but
perhaps it was attributable to that desire which
most of them had when learning their work to get
rid of " shop" as much as possible. (Laughter.)
Looking at the increase in the numbers under all
the other heads—looking at the very pleasing state
of the Institute from all the other points of view
which had been presented to them that day, per-
haps this was the real explanation of the very small
amount of attendance upon the practical mechanics
class. Well, so far, he was saying that they had
been making progress. First, he had remarked upon
the large increase of subscribers ; secondly, he had
dwelt upon the Large increase in the attendance upon
the classes—upon many of the most useful and se-
rious classes as well as upon those cl IS3CS which con-
tributed to refinement and entertainment. But
there was one new element which he should be very
sorry to pass by without notice—that was the ladies'
class. (lle,ar.) Ile confessed he looked with great
favour on this new department of instruction, and
he was glad to see that it had proved successful, and
that it was increasing. He did not dread the import-
ing of anything like a masculine character into the
female mind by the labour necessary to obtain sound
and well constituted knowledge; on the contrary,
there was no fear whatever of interfering with the
feminine characteristics. It was an advantage to hus-
bands, brothers, and sons that women to the peculiar
qualities which distinguish female character should
add the advantages of a sound and well-conducted un-
derstanding. And he confessed that he should be ex-
tremely glad to find that the ladies did not neglect
the study of Latin. He believed it to be a great help
and assistance in promoting accuracy of thought and
expression, and that anything which induced in the
female mind sound thought and accurate expression
would be very advantageous to their intellectual
character. It was, as they knew, one of the subjects
of the day how to dispose of female labour ; how to
discover the most advantageous mode of employing
the great amount of female capacity which was very
often lying idle for want of a proper field and a pro-
per opening. By carefully availing themselves of the
advantages offered by that institution the ladies
would become properly qualified teachers ; and even
if this should not be their scope of labour, they
would reap great advantages through life from the
study which they had undergone. He thought there
were several of those young ladies present to whom
he should in a short time have the privilege of offer-
ing prizes, and he was sure that nothing would oc-
cur in the presentation of those marks of honorary
distinction which would in the slightest degree be
calculated to repel the finest nature or prevent the
ladies coming forward to receive the mark of their
zeal in the pursuit of knowledge. (Cheers.) He,
therefore, after looking back at the past, felt himself
able to encourage them to go on in this good work,
extending it from time to time, feeling their way to
new branches, enlarging the sphere of their opera-
tions, and while at some times they followed the
public mind they would try at other times to guide
it. Ile believeclthey had already encouragement
before them. Ile was convinced that this
was BO ;
they saw the results that had followed—were they