The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-05 00:00:00

4.--

4d.
STAMPED sd.

has wrought in this country, and it is that which I
want to impreL=s, not only on you, en whose enlight-

ened minds I have no doubt the conviction is already
firmly planted, but on other persons who, perhaps, inny
not be quiLe as enlightened as your: elves. I think I

see, symptoms iu ti-„ eonduet, of the Gwernment of
this country that they are not aware what mighty,
what new, what vast, what importaut duties the

changes of thi3 year have thrown upon them. (Hear,
hear.) They think. that " to-motrow shall 1):.: as
to-day, and much more abua taut." (Great lau,;hter

and applause.) They suppose they can alter the
whole ta-iis of our institutions, and yet can main-
tain thole institutions in their integrity as they

existed before that basis was altered. (Hear, hear.)
I hope, gentlemen, this is not party politics when I
say that men of all political opinions—those who
rejoice at and those who deprecate recent changes--
ought alike to agree that these changes, whether for
good or evil, are most momentous and important ;
that they cast upon those who are able to think and

act for their fellow-citizens the most enormous re-

sponsibility ; that they require from us nothing less
than that we should carefully review, piece by piece,
the whole of our organisation, social and political,

n this country, and adapt it as far as we can, by

measures of wisdom and moderation, to the enor-
mous changes which are certainly impending. Sup-

pose a man to have swallowed a fluid of the nature
of which he is ignorant, which will not operate for
a certain number of hours, which may be a most
salutary draught or may be a most deadly poison,
how would he occupy these hours if he were a wise
man ? (Laughter and cheers.) Would he not

occupy them in preparing, not for the best, but for
the worst? (Laughter and cheers.) Would he

not put his house in order ? (Loud cheers.)
Would he not look the change that awaits him

firmly and manfully in the face, and make such
preparations as the case may require? But, gentle-
men, I say that to men of all parties, because we

all know we have made " a leap in the dark."
There is no doubt about it. (Loud laughter and

cheers.) That leap may land us in smooth grass ;
or it may deposit us in a stone quarry ; and in order
that it may be well with us, let us see the time that

is left us—time most invaluable, most precious; time
that can never return to us again—in endeavouring,
if we can, to accommodate our institutions to these
great • changes. And, gentlemen, I think I see
symptoms that this is undreamt of. I find that
last year a small measure, which had for its object
to open Fellowships in the Universities to Dissenters,
was thrown out of the House of Lords just as if they

supposed they could maintain, in the face of the
change that has taken place, the same attitude that
has hitherto been maintained. (Cheers.) I hear
language held of the same kiud, which makes me
miserable when I hear it, because it shows that we
not only have got a great change, but that the mani-
pulation of that great change has fallen into the

hands of men who were altogether incapable of con-
ducting it, and utterly unable to comprehend the
magnitude of what they themselves have done.
(Hear.) Therefore, gentlemen, I say the duty of
every man who loves his country, whatever his
politics may be, is to turn the whole force of his
mind, the whole strength of his will, and the whole
power of his influence into this question of education,
and turn it on this one single point of seeing that
there shall be provided in the shortest possible space
of time the means of education in the elements of
useful knowledge for every one of her Majesty's
subjects in these islands that choose to avail them-
selves of it. How is that to be done ? I have given
my own views. lam not bigoted to them. There
may be better ways of doing it, but it must be done.
That that is the end to be arrived at, and that the
question is not so much a question of ends but of
means, is, I think, perfectly self-evident. (Hear,
hear.) If I can only succeed in-impressing that on
you, and through you, on those ycu influence, I

shall be better pleased than lam with all the honours
you have showered upon me. You will see whether
my anticipations are right or not. At any rate let
us be free. Let those who have been in their time
the tried and true friends of education, as I believe
all those I address have been, let them not have to re-

proach themselves:that at this moment,when the whole
aspect of the question is changed, when it has become
in fact, as it were, a department of the State instead
of the business of private munificence, letthem not be
wanting in their duty to the State, or shrink from
putting their shoulders to the wheel. We cannot say
what an hour may bring forth. The next Session
of Parliament is our own, and every pressure that
can be brought should be brought to cause this Par-
liament to settle this question, at least to put it on
a more satisfactory basis before a new Parliament
comes into existence. Well, gentlemen, I have no
more to say, except once more to thank you for the
most unmerited and unexpected honour you have
conferred on me. (Applause.) As I told you, I
am not used to such things. If I was, I should
return you my thanks probably with more grace
and more effusion; but I assure you not with more
sincerity than Ido now. (Great cheering.)
Mr. MONCREIFF, M.P., in giving " The Cause of
Education," said—My right hon. friend has ob-
served that education has now become a political
question. I can only say that so far as I am con-
cerned it shall not be made a party question.
(Cheers.) The Conservative Government have many
facilities for dealing with this subject. They•com-
mand a majority in the Upper
.house which no
Whig Government has ever been able to command ;
and if the presentConservativeGovernment think it
would signalise their tenure of office to pass even a
more liberal measure of education for Scotland than
that which the late Government proposed, they may
rest assured that it will meet with no jealousy or
cavil, but will receive, I believe, from the represen-
tatives of Scotland the most hearty and earnest
support. (Cheers.)
After several other toasts had been proposed,
Mr. LowE gave "The Edinburgh Philosophical
Institution." In the course of his remarks he said
—I do no not pretend to go into the details of your
society, or to commend its working in matters of
that kind ; it is a thing you all know perfectly well,
and Ido not, and therefore it would be quite ridi-
culous in me attempting to teach you that which
you know better than myself. If you knew nothing
about it, I might draw on my imagination
(laughter)—l might present you with a fictitious
history of your own society --(laughter)—just as
some people are wicked enough to say they have in
the course of this week been presented with a fic-
titious history of what has taken place in our
country in regard to Reform from the reign of
Queen Anne downwards. (Loud laughter.) But,
gentlemen, I presume that the brilliant audience to
whom the splendid and imaginary sketch was ad-
dressed, having mostly all had the advantage
of classical education, were entirely ignorant of
the history of their own country—(laughter and loud
cheers)—nay, more, that they were equally ignorant
of the history of their own lives—(continued laugh-
ter)—and so supposed they had been consistent ad-
vocates of measures which we all know they had
consistently opposed. (Roars Of laughter.) I am
afraid you are not in that predicament. I dreadfully
fear you thoroughly understand the history of your
own institution —(laughter)—therefore that must be
my apology if I do not present you with a brilliant
and _diversified sketch of its history, drawn for your
amusement from the depths of my inner conscious-
ness. (Laughter.) Gentlemen, restricted as lam
to the region of plain prose and plain fict, I shall
confine myself to three topics of commendation—
ample but true, plain but I think convincing—that
you ask nothing at all from the State, that you
tread on no man's toes, and offend no man's preju-
dices, and that you give every man who belongs to
you his money's worth for his money. Relying on
the strength of the case, I beg to propose to you the
toast of the Philosophical Institution, and in so doing
respectfully to take my leave 'of you, once more
thanking you for the great honour ,you have done
me: (Loud
,applause).