The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-17 00:00:00

SIR GEORGE. GREY ON THE MEANS OF

ADULT EDUCATION.

At the annual dinner of the Northern Union of
Literary and Scientific Institutes, at Alnwick, on
Tuesday, the Right Hon. Sir G. Grey presided ; and
in proposing the toast of the evening—" Prosperity
to the Northern Association of Literary and
Mechanics' Institutes "—said : This is a toast
which I am sure, after the meeting we have had
this morning, after the valuable and interesting
report which we there heard read, and after the
interest which I believe all whom I address must
feel in the objects of this association, is one which
I need not recommend by any arguments of my own.
One thing, however, I think I cannot fail to men-
tion as a subject of congratulation—namely, that
in the age in which we live, it is useless and super-
fluous to dwell upon the advantages of the diffusion
of education and knowledge. (Hear.) The time
is happily gone by, when, to use the language of a
great writer, " The arrogance of learning can con-
demn to ignorance the great body of the people."
(Applause.) The time is happily gone by, too, I
may add, when the fears or apprehensions of one class
of society can stand in the way, or raise a barrier
against the enlightenment and education of the great
body of another. (Loud applause.) It is now univer-
sally admitted that knowledge is a blessing, and
the only question which is discussed, the only
'thing upon which debates and differences of opinion
arise, is as to the best means of effecting an object,
the value of which all concur in, and of promoting
as widely as possible the blessings of education and
o f knowledge. (Loud applause.) I believe there
is nothing more true than a sentence which I find
in an appeal lately issued by the council of this
association, namely, that it is in vain to expect any
marked improvement in the moral and social con-
dition of the people, without affording them the
mem
s of intellectual culture and relaxation. (Loud
applause.) This association does propose, does aim
to extend widely those means of intellectual cul-
ture and relaxation ; and therefore it is deserving
the support, the cordial support, of all who are
interested in the best interests of their fellow-
countrymen. (Loud applause.) The tavern and
the ale-house will be frequented, whatever prohi-
bitory laws you pass—(applause)—whatever re-
straints you attempt to impose—so long as the
tavern and the ale-house are the only resource
which the wet-king man has where he finds social
relaxation and intercourse. It is truly said, there-
fore, I think, that the best mode of proceeding is to
establish a reading-room wherever a reading•room
can be established, accessible to the working-man,
comfortably lighted, with a cheerful fire, and with
other requisites which are necessary in order to
make it attractive ; and by so doing you present to
him as a reasonable being, as a being accountable
not only to the laws of his country, but accountable
to God—you place before him enjoyments and
objects of interest which, when once appreciated,
will withdraw him from those debasing pleasures
in which so many in the absence of other objects of
interest are disposed to indulge. I say that this
association appears to be one of the most useful in
adopting varied methods for effecting this object,
and for attracting people to higher and nobler pur-
suits than those to which they are naturally inclined.
It has its reading-room, it has its itinerating libra-
ries—most useful in the way of extending that know-
ledge which can be procured through books, through
books of a valuable kind ; and placed within reach
of remote hamlets and villages ; it has its lectures—
admirable in their way; it has its el-^n;r, classes
and its evening schools to which such useful allu-
sion was made to-day, and which I think are the
most valuable efforts of this society ; it has its
system of examination, and it has also those prizes
which I have seen awarded to-day—which stimulate
rising genius, and which are sufficient to induce
men to devote their minds and faculties to the at-
tainment of high and useful ends. Speaking of
the evil effects of intemperance, I may just advert
here to some very excellent friends of my own in
this country, with whom I would have had much
intercourse on the subject, but who certainly go
further in some of their views than I can go with
them, because I think it is not by prohibitory laws
so Much as it is, I think, by presenting counter
attractions that you can successfully encounter and
defeat the monster evil of intemperance. (Loud
applause.) I was struck the other day, in reading
one of the works of that lamented man, Hugh
Miller, whose writings I have no doubt you are
acquainted with, with the passage in which he
records some of his earlier days, when he was
actually working as a mason, but when his mind
was also at work upon higher objects than those
on which his hands were engaged—when he had
learned to appreciate the maxims and philosophy of
Bacon, and to return from his day's, work to his
lodging to enjoy the intellectual feasts which works
of that kind presented to him. He says that on
one occasion he was tempted, in his intercourse
with his fellow-countrymen, to trangress the bounds
of temperance, and to indulge with them in excessive
drinking. He returned to his lodging and opened
his Bacon ; his intellect was clouded, and he was
unable to appreciate and to enjoy it, and from that
day he made a resolve—a resolve which I believe
he uniformly maintained afterwards—never again
to cloud by intemperance that intellect which God
had given him ; because he felt that in doing so
he was depriving himself of the inestimable
pleasures and ' enjoyments provided for him
by a gracious and merciful Providence. Among
the attractions of these places, there are
requisites besides a comfortable fire, which are
essential in a good reading-room to make
it comfortable. I think the most important is a
useful and judicious selection of books, to be placed
there for the use of those who are invited to
frequent them. Now, I don't mean by a useful and
judicious selection of books that we should very
carefully weed our village or our town libraries of
everything which the fastidious might think ought
not to be there. It is by no means necessary that
this should be the mode of dealing with libraries.
Let there be books of all kinds in these libraries,
but let the selection be a wise and judicious selec-
tion, with the view to put in those libraries books
which, while they attract—and there are many of
this character—will also deeply interest, and will
excite men •to higher motives of action, and will
supply them with examples to guide them in their
course, in whatever sphere of life they may be
placed. (Loud cheers.) Before, however, I advert
to the character of the books which I think it is
very desirable should be in these libraries, let me
say a word on what I see adverted to in many of
th:se reports with reference to newspapers. I see
rather a regret expressed that newspapers form the
principal attraction in those reading-rooms. In
some cases even it has been thought almost neces-
sary to separate the newspapers from the books,
and to have an apartment for the newspapers and
another for books, because newspapers diverted the
people's attention from what was most useful and
valuable. I think myself that, looking to the cha-
racter of the newspapers at the present day—look-
ing at the variety of information which they con-