The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-19 00:00:00

CARLISLE, who, after alluding to the gratification
which the proceedings of the week and of that day
had giyen.- him, said that he rejoiced tCrfind that the
„,
Unitersity of Oxford, where he resided_ during a
few happy years of youth, was .coming 'forward to
elicit, to stimulate, and to reward the intellectual
energies of-the great middle class of this -country..
There had been much .controversy with respect _to
-the whole subject of middle-class examination, with
which; hcrwever.,-he would not trouble the meeting,
but would beg to offer his congratulation to .the
youths present for what they had already ieliki-ed,
:and his earnest exhortation to them to persevere in
the noble and laudable career upon which they had
entered. Every day the possession of knowledge
and the mastery of mind were - becOraing More the
conditiOns of -success and the avenues to faine, and
the exercise and proper direction of the intellect,
the taste, and the fancy,- brought pleasures
altogether independent of success and of their
worldly pursuits. (Cheers.) But pleasure was not
entitled to he considered.as the real business of our
responsible lives ; and though success had many
high and noble qualities, particularly when it fe- •
the industry and enterprise of such men as
Mr. Brown, or crowned the genius of such-men as•
Mr. Gladstone, he would have thent remember that
success was compatible with lax principles, vulgar
feelings, and vicious habits, and might be reached in
this world of trial by. those. men who • showed no
title to' the loVe" of theirfelloivs or to the favour of

•
afiilgliiiinfiesaf but what we
ter life cannot
their God: (Cheers.) -Be yours (said his lordship) a
still loftier, a more real ambition. It is not who we
•aarreeinThtheesiwtuoartl
be considered as within your own control, and even
if they should' _be as d_ -splendid _an
situations
thatsyoii reallymay
as .dazzling as
your most sanguine.dreams could anticipate,, they
still might leave you at. the close of_ life mean, un-
honoured;:.and mnloied. But the -chardeters you
may form for yourselvesini: humble dependence on:
the Diyino assistance, thescure in your own power;
and they will never disai•POint and never Tail
Each act of virtuous self-denial, the. adivo:e&e'reig,
of Christian love, the obedience of a life-long faith,
these, my young friends, arc the things which will
secure for you, not such transient honours and dis-
tinctions- as those which I 'dm aboutto :award, you,
but the supreme blessing and the immortal:crown..
The prizes having been delivered to the success-
ful compctitorS,
. The Right Hon. W. E. GLADSTONE next rose to
address the meeting. He said—My Lord Carlisle,'
ladies, and gentlemen, the principal purpose of this
great meeting has, as. I conceive, been already ac-
complished; for that principal purpose, in my view,
has not had reference to the great, body of the in-
telligent inhabitants of Liverpool who compose this
vast assembly—deeply interested as they are in the
preSent Occasion—but has had reference-to -those
young persons who, in the spring time of their
lives, have come here, not so much to receive the
rewards of their past labours, us to hear words of
encouragement and of instruction, which are to
stimulate them in their future course. Those words,
I trust, have been deeply engraven on their hearts,
for they have come, with every • advantage that in-
struction could receive, from one.'of the most dis-

tinguished and excellent, as well as one of themost
eminent in station of all the subjects of her Ma-
jesty. (Hear, hear.) But something still remains
to be done, and I have undertaken to propose to
_you a resolution by which, if you will adopt it,
you will express your gratitude to the University
of Oxford for having organised a system of local
examinations throughout the country, which has
for its object the benefit of the community at large
and especially of the middle classes of our fellow.
subjects. Now, my lord, I must say one word on
the character in which I appear before you, although
I say it with reluctance, because too much by far
has already been said, through the partiality of
other speakers upon that subject. I must forget, as
far as I can, my connection with the University of
Oxford, for upon the present occasion--4 say it,
ladies and gentlemen, in deep sincerity—l am speak-
ing to you as one ofyourselves. (Cheers.) Associated
with the town of Liverpool by birth, and by a thou-
sand ties, I feel that I should have deserted the
most sacred of duties if I had failed to take the, op-
portunity which your kindness has afforded me of
speaking to you the convictions of my heart upon
a subject like the one of to-day, with which, unless
I am greatly, mistaken, so much is involved of what
concerns the welfare of this community. I trust
you will agree to express your thanks to the Univer-
sity of Oxford for the pains they have taken, and
the readiness and promptitude with which they
have moved, in order to meet a crying national
want. It is sometimes thought—and perhaps not
without reason—that it is in the nature of such
bodies to be tardy in meeting the exigencies of the
day; and undoubtedly their spirit is—and their
spirit, I may venture to say, ought to be—a spirit
more anxious about the reality and security than
about the rapidity of their progress. But there has
been, I may take upon me to assert, no tardiness
upon the part of the universities at least upon the
present occasion. From the bosom of the universi-
ties themselves proceeded the impulse—the very
first impulse—which led- to this great movement ;
and the formal and corporate action of the univer-
sities seconded and gave form to that impulse at
the very earliest moment which its most ardent
friends could have desired. (Hear, hear.) Well,
now, ladies and gentlemen, I trust we feel that the
gift which has been offered to us in this matter is
a real gift—that these- examinations are to be a
real and substantial good. (Hear.) There are
some, perhaps, who are sceptical upon that subject.
There are some who will tell us—and tell us truly
—that a perfectly disinterested love of learning, a
love of learning which needs no spur or incentive
from without, but which is led forward by the in-
trinsic charms and graces of the subject, that that
is the love of learning which is most truly valuable.
This may be so in the abstract ; and there have been
cases in which, poverty itself has proved no insur-
mountable obstacle 'to that thirst for instruction
which, in earlier times of less material development
led men from the very ends , of the earth to the
sources where, knowledge was to be acquired.
(Hear.) But we are to consider the wants and the
exigencies, the dangers and the temptations, of the
particular age in which we liv2, ; and I appeal to you
whether it is not true that, in a time of great com-
mercial enterprise and of rapid commercial develop-
ment, there is such an increase of the danger that
all the higher aspirations of our , nature will be
overborne that it becomes us, as wise men—as prac.;
tical men—to seek the aid of every instrumentality
which may assist us in_ keeping alive that culture
of the human mind and of the human intellect
which has donee, so .much. for this country and for
Christendom; which so greatly contributes to the
of life, and without
discharge its highest
hear.) The sys-
laavndhodircnnh: no
sentno tsacred
t de
snu
oj t
coi ne( tia e a r
tem of examinations which has been organised
is no novelty. Those who come from the
experience upon
longtold: that the effect
are told'
an ungenerous
if you are told that
ill lead to the neglect
order that there may
otuhfnai universities
competition
subject;msipti
ee
ts t
oann have
is ithaydt.
introduce t
theorif
ta
hl rivals y
stimulusmi na
mass
the 1 i
oef
givent ihned
tspo
pupils,
schools
hlso,ns youth,w
be more time and greater opportunity in the higher
cultivation of a favoured few—if you are told, as you
are sometimes honestly, but erroneously told that
the effect of competitien is to give an undue, pre-
ponderance to the intellectual, as compared with
the moral elements of character—rely upon it that
those who speak from an experience which has ex-
tended now over centuries will tell you that you
may safely dismiss from your minds at once all such.
apprehensions. (Hear.) I say frankly and fear-
lessly that there is nothing more generous than the
sentiments which are inspired into the breasts of
youths by rivalry such as that to which I am re-
ferring. It is in itself essentially incompatible with
selfish ideas and objects. Learning isnot a limited
quantity in such sense that he who obtains it
causes his neighbour to lose it. On the contrary,
-every one who obtainsit beconies a standarcl-beartr
for others; and the treasures to which he invites

latiOn to, allclasses of the, community, as institu-
tions which have.been the pride and glory of Chris-
tendom, and which ought to dispense their benefits
teal' ranks of- can. fellow-citizens. This was. the
Arne aim of the universities upon their first feundar
tion. (Hear.) They never were intendedto be the
monopoly of the-rich. (Hear.) They were intenclbd
to work the deep mines of eapacityand of character
avllielLexist throughout the whole of every civilised,
community. (1-lear,'hear.)
,They were intended ,to
draw forth from hidden corners and recesses,- Wher--
ever they: existed-, the. materials 'of geniuS and
,excellence forlhe glory of,God end .the advantag,-e
of the conntrY. (Hoar.) And that aim they fuT-
filled. (Hear.) Go back to the periods when the
great movements -of the hunian'_mind commenced,
and see where it Was- that those- processes were
elaborated,' and Whence it was that: 400, -500; 600,
700 years ago, light -flowed- in England. - .(Hear.)
:It was from the, universities; and'as one great poet,
,has, called Athens the ",Eye of Greece,' so
well and truly may it be said, :in TeferenCe to their
early history, that the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge were the eyes of England. (Hear.) Ladies
and gentlemen, I do not say that at present that film-,
'tion is fully discharged. On the contrary, we see
that for several centuries theseuniversitie;have per-
formed duties most important indeed an dmost useful,
but comparatively limited.. In the main their utility,
has been chiefly confined to' the riCh.. -They have
educated the clergy,r_ and in, So, doing have per-
formed a great service to the conntry; They have
educated the greater number—alniost. the *hole,
indeed-:-of the Sons of our high nobility. They
have educated the principal part of the sages of
the law. But that is not,the whole, of their duty.
We have in England Vast elasses of men who are
'nee comprised in the' category to which I have - re-
ferred=—vast -elassesef i'Whom the great. assembly
now before me is a specimen—and 1 must confess
that I have never come into South ,Lancashire,..
Whether into this town of Liverpoed, :Or into the,
great'and intelligent - community of Manchester,
without 'feeling deeply what -a blank there was—
what a void existed requiring to be; filled up—and
'how the .emmeefion :between' the': univerSities and
-this great community of South Lancashire had so
dwindled away that it mould make but little differ-
ence in the universities if South Lancashire were
swallowed up, or in South Lancashire if Oxford
and Cambridge were in ruins. (Hear, hear.) My
Lord, this. is, I hope, a frank, it is certainly a sin-
cere confession, describing what, in my view, is a'
great social evil. At any rate, it shows that we
have fallen far Short of that hich :our forefathers
designed: 'Am I to be told. that becanSe Liverpool
is a great commercial community, 'therefore the
higher culture of the human mind is to be banished
from its.houndary ? There cannot- be a' grosser
error. (Hear, hoar.). - Commerce and learning have
been 'united in many communities, and Florence
was among the- first of. commercial cities at the very
time when it gave - birth ;-to a greater amount of
intellectual force and did more for the civiliza-
tion -of mankind- than- any 'other community at
any period of Christian history. Do not, therefore,
let us submit to the degrading belief 'that if com-
merce is to flourish' and grow in Liverpool, Liver-
pool must of necessity lie behind in reference to
those pursuits which do so much to refine and de-
, rate the human mind, and which forms the prin-
cipal 'subject *of -our consideration to=day. And
permit me, ladies and gentlemen,"to say that if I
have spoken strongly on the subject of competitive
examinations, and been sanguine in my expectations
of beneficial results from them,. I am free to admit
that I have perhaps something in the nature of local
Sentiment, withal respect, because I feel assured
that in any-system of competition that may be
established—and provided that it be a fair and
open sytems—South Lancashire and Liverpool will
hold their own. My lord; in urging on'this meet-
ing that they should hail the occasion which has
called us together to-day, and should consider -the
present proceedings as only the very beginning of
what is-henceforth to be accomplished, I do so be-
cause' I feel that those proceedings promise the re-
newal and the re-establishment ef that relation
between the old universities of the country and
the great commercial and manufacturing com-
munities of the country, which is not, , in-
deed, altogether in abeyance, but which has
been feeble, which has been languishing, and
which requires to be reinvigorated and restored.
The universities cannot afford to dispense with the
aid and moral influence which they would derive
from striking their roots deeper among you. They
are at present engaged almost entirely, although
not exclusively, in providing education for the rich
—for a class which will, if the universities do not
provide it for them, contrive, in virtue of their
riches, to provide it for themselves. We desire to
see them providing education for those who are
not able to provide it, at least in its highest -form,
from their own resources. (Hear.) Your lordship
has been pleased -to connect my name with that of
a geat poet, whose works, by us and by our chil-
dren, must always be held in honour. May I be
permitted to refer to' one representation of that
great master bard ? He tell us that the army of the
Trojans marched with noise and clamour because
they were ill-aSsorted and. ill-combined; but that
the army of Greeks marched in silence and with
order, awaiting the word of command from their
officers, because they had one heart and one spirit,
within them. 'We-happily, in England, see,' in no
small measure, even now—and I hope ,that, as
years roll on, we shall see it more and more—the
realisation of that noble feature of the Greek army
which is the model of every great, happy, and peace-
ful community. We see---and I hope yet more to
gee—England quiet and contented, because she has
one mind and one heart within her. That unity and
harmony will rise higher in proportion as 'the insti-
tutions of the country are bound to fulfil their
work—in proportion as all parties are more and
more bound together by kindly feeling and reciprocal
4.dvantage4 and there never was a happier instance
than that afforded by the meeting now'before me of
that happylassociation and binding together which,
by the favour of Providence, so eminently charac-
terises England, as compared with so many of the
other countries of the world. I ask you, ladies and
gentlemen, to express to the universities those feel-
ings which will animate and impel thenito continue
the career upon which they have entered ; and I
confess I am sanguine enough to believe that these
local examinations will not end with local exami•
nations, but that those who are brought into con-
tact with the culture of. the university, through
the medium of local examinations, will in great and
increasing numbers desire to partake of the benefits
of residence in the universities themselves. On the
other hand, I entertain a 'sanguine hope that the
universities, finding this disposition existing,
not be wanting either in skill or promptitude In
adapting their arrangements to the existing wan
of the community ; that they will so frame them as
to enable the youth of Liverpool, and of other placese
similarly circumstanced, to resort to them for
benefit of the training which they give, without
making a sacrifice of those years which it ith
s impos-
sible for them to devote to the pursuit of learning
without a departure from the absolute and necessary
purposes of a commercial community. All thiswe
have before us in hope, and in 'prospe.ct it forms a
pleasing picture and depend upon it that if we
will only in detail—each in his own private 'circle,
in his family and in society—endeavour to give it
effect,
there is nothing
. contained in it which reason-
able men may not hope to see speedily achieved for
the benefit of the country. (Hear.) The work, allow
me to say, is one which, if successfully carried on,
will not be the least importantof the performances
Ofthe remarkable age in which we live, and will
contribute, in modes and degrees—far more than
any. among us can now distinctly reckon—both to
increase female happiness and virtue, and likewise
to the maintenance of England, and the discharge
of the duties of England, as one of the very fore-
most among -those • nations which- lead the cause
of civilisation in the World: The right hen: gehtle;
man concluded by wring a resolution conveying

The quarterly meetings—of the iron and coal mas-
ters, which- coinmeneeden.Tuesday at Walsall, and
terminated on Saturday evening at Dudley, are
chiefthe
feature of the week- in connection with the
trade of this district. It is satisfactory to be able to
report than they indicated an improvement in our
great staple trade, which we could hardly have an-
ticipated a few weeks ago. At the meeting held on
Monday, the attendance was numerous and highly
respectable; including amongst others Lord Haller-
ton, Lord Lieutenant of the county of Stafford, P.
-.
Williams, Esq., High Sheriff,- Mr. Foster, ALP.,
several magistrates, a large number of shipping-
agents from
from London interested Liverpool, Hull, fie., and merchants
in the trade. As usual, at
the commencement of the meeting, rumours in fa-
vour of a- reduction of the prices were in circulation,
but it soon became obvious from •the determination
of those gentlemen. who :usually govern the trade„.
that the resolution of the preliminary meeting
would be adhered to, and orders whieh had been
held back were consequently given out. Contrary
to expeetatimi many of them were furnished by the.
American merchants, and this fact on being known
imparted increased confidence to the meeting.
The reports relative to the American market were
altogctizer,muclj More satisfactory than' they have
been since the panic, and hopes are now entertained
that we May look for-Wttrd to a speedy revival of
trade inthat qiiarler. I am sorry to say the demand
for our railway companies, and for -building-par-.
posed, is limited. The serious depreciation in
the railway dividends -precludes the possibility of
outlay by the directors beyond absolute necessity,,
and very few orders were given for rails or chairs..
In building there is little doing, and many interests
in this district are very seriously affected by the
unfavourable state of that important trade. On the
Whole, -however the ironmasters have reason to
congratulate themselves on the meetings of the
, week. There were no fresh. embarrassments .and
nounced,.andthensual quarterly accounts were very
well met. Tewa 34S tic close of the meeting, Lord
liatherton and - the other magistrates held a- pri-
vate conference relative to the unfortunate strike
amongst the colliers. - It was stated, I believe, that
some of the men had gone in since the publication
of the resolutions of the masters- of which I sent
.you: a:cnpy last week.: When the men found that
the • document was signed by nearly if not every
firm of weight and.importance in the district, and
that the alternative of 4s. a-day, or none at allovas
placed before them; they began to give way, and
sonic went down into the pits. Offers of a compro-
mise, through- arbitration, were also made by the
leaders of the men, but not-accepted, and I am led to.
believe they will ere long, give way.- The poor fel-
lows have endured .great. privations in the, main--
tenance of what they deem their just
_rights; but it
'would, seem that time • and circumstances are
against them. The demand for iron and coal is by
no means equal to our immense powers of produc-
tion, and the competition between this district and
the Scotch and Welsh masters, and I fear we must
now add the American masters, is so great as to
render it all but impossible to realise profit' upon
capital and give good wages: Under these circum-
'stances all parties are being pinched, the weakest,
as usual, suffering most severely. - The men who
have not yet gone into work have announced a large
meeting for Monday next, at IVestbromwich, and
their wives and children are to be - assembled in
another part of the district. The affair is alto-
gether painful, and the'Sooner it is brought to a
termination the better.

In the manufacturing parts of the district the
vhrious trades are rather improving, with the ex-
ception of those appertaining to the building trade.
At Walsall the saddlers are better employed than
they were, and the chain and cable makers are also
on full time.

In this town the general hardware trade is
brisker. We have had a tolerably good demand
for various articles during the week, principally for
foreign markets .

TliC military gun trade is abOut receivins: another
imPetus. An order has been just issued' by the Sec-
retary. at War to advertise for the contract for the
manufacture of small arms, &c., and the gunmakers
will send in their contracts in a few days. Judging
from the large quantity already made, and this new
order, it would_ seem as if the requirements for
India were increasing. The contracts, however, from
whatever cause they may proceed, will be of great
use to this town, as many of the works have of late
been on rather short time. The birding branch of
the gun trade has not been of late brisk, and the
men have suffered very considerably. from the fall-
ing' off in the American orders.
The steel pen trade continues active for the foreign
Markets, best quality being chiefly in demand;
For jewellery, also, we have had increased de-
mand since Monday, and the hands at the large
firms have been on full time. Now that the harvest
is all in, the travellers in the agricultural districts
are enabled to send home ,some useful order,-sheets
for second quality of jewellery and other fancy
articles, but from Yorkshire a,nd the manufaCturifig.
districts the accounts are not so satisfactory.

TILE OXFORD UNITERSII7 MUSEUM :

1 This magnificent structure, the first stone of which
was laid by the Earl of Derby in 1855, has made
considerable progress during the long- vacation,
and great efforts are being made to complete it by
the next commemoration, when it is understood
that her Majesty will visit Oxford for the purpose
of being present at the inauguration. The con-
tractors, Messrs. Lucas Brothers, have finished
their contracts for erecting the main buildings,
and the workmen are now chiefly engaged upon the
internal fittings. The central tower, with its Rhen-
ish-Gothic spires, has been completed, as, also the
curators's residence a neat and commodious
structure at the sOuthleastern angle of the Museum,
where Professor Phillips now resides. Professor
Brodie has taken possession of the chemical labora-
tory, with its lofty octagonal roof and four tall
chimneys ; and the medical laboratory will be occu-
pied by Dr. Acland in the course of a few days.
The chief feature of the building—the grand central
court—promises to become one of the most beauti-
ful and striking objects of which Oxford can boast.
It is 128 feet square, surrounded with an upper and
lower corridor of 11 feet wide, and will be crowned
with a glass roof resting on light and elegant iron
pillars, ornamented with representations of the
foliage of British trees, such as the chesnut, oak,
maple, &c. The new roof, designed by Mr. Skid-
more, of Coventry, at an estimated cost of £5,000,
is being fitted up at the works in Staffordshire, and
is expected to be completed in January next. The
unfortunate failure of the original roof has some-
what retarded the progress of the fabric, but in other
respects the works are proceeding in a satisfactory
manner. A number of artist workmen are em-
ployed in carving the capitals and corbels with na-
tural foliage, illustrating the natural history. of
various epochs, climates, and regions, some of which
are already finished. On the corbels around the
central court will be .placed statues of the great
founders and improvers of natural knowledge.
Five of these figures have been presented by her
Majesty, namely, those of Bacon, Gallileo, Newton,
Leibnitz, and Oersted, and three of them have been
already very beautifully executed in Cacn stone by
Munro, of London. The undergraduates of the um-
versity have presented the statues of Aristotle and
Cuvier, and 32 are now required to complete the
series. Among the subscribers to this truly national
work are the Earl of Derby, £lOO ; Mr. w. E.
Gladstone, £100; Mr.' M. P. W.BOOo u;1 taonnd,
aomf
stone, £150; Mr. J. Ruskin, jun., £3
the contributors are Sir R. I. Murchison, the Duce
of Argyll, the Marquis of Breadalbane, Sir' -W. Tre--
velvan Sir S. Glynne, the Earl of Harrowby, Sir
B. Brodie, Sir C. Lyell, Mr. S. Ruskin Prof. Sedg-
wick, Mr. W. Miles, M.P.; and many others emi-
nent in science and art. Among the works ota pub-
lic character expressive of the feling which is enter-
tained in the university on the subject of physical
education, we may mention the erection of a new
and commodious gymnasium from a design furnished
by Mr. Wilkinson, of Oxford, and erected by
Messrs. J. Castle and Co.- It is 85 feet long, 45 feet
wide, and .30. feet high, and the centre of the roof
will be of the form of a dome, surmounted by a lan-
tern. It promises to be a handsome and substantial
building, and well adapted for the important pur-
pose to which it will be devoted. The extensive
works at Exeter College, upon which £30,000 or
£40,000 has been expended during the last few
years, are expected to be finished about Easter
next. The chapel, which is erected from the de-
.sign of Mr: G. G. Scott, in the early English deco;
rated style of architecture, is 'a magnificent struc-
ture, and promises to be one of . the finest ecclesi-
astical edifices -in Oxford, and reminds those -who
-ate, familiar 'with Paiis of the- celebrated Sainte
Chapelle.