The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-07 00:00:00

SPAIN.

Accounts from Madrid of the 2d inst. state that
the permission to hold meetings, make speeches,
and publish manifestos with a view to the elections,
as done by the Pro,gressistas, has been refused to
the ultra-democratical party. They complain that
they are not considered as a " legal party" by the
Minister, who declines permitting what former
Governments tolerated. Party spirit runs very
high in Madrid just now. Four Moderado journals
have publicly announced that with one organ of
the press, the Diario .Espanol, they will hold no
intercourse, nor take any notice of it except in a
court of justice. A personal conflict took place at
the Cafe Suizo on the Ist, between the editor of the
Iberia and the editor of the Diario. The former
struck the latter in the face, and in two hours after
was on his way to Valladolid. on urgent private
affairs.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE POOR-LAW
BOARD ON ADULT EDUCATION.

SALISBURY, WEDNESDAY.
This afternoon the annual meeting of the Hants
and Wilts Adult Education Society, and the Con-
ference of Institutions in union with it, was held
by permission of the Mayor in the Council Cham-
ber; the Right Hon. T. S. H. Estcourt, M.P:,
President of. the Poor-law Board, in the chair.
There were present the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop
of Salisbury, the Dean (Dr. Hamilton), Arch.
Honey, Sir E. Hulse, Mr. Marsh, M.P., Mr. C. W.
Squarey, the Mayor, and a large number of influ-
ential gentlemen connected with the counties.

The- CHAIRMAN, after a few introductory re-
marks, called the Hon. and Rev. Samuel Best, of
Abbott's Ann, Andover, one of the secretaries, who
read the report. . _

The CIIIIRMAN, in moving the reception and
adoption of the report, said the cause of education
generally, by which was meant, in common par-
lance, the teaching of children, from the first day
they entered an infant school till the day when
they went out to work, had not been so beneficial
during the last fifty, years as they could have
wished, for at that period, when the intellect was
ripening into something like appreciating and un-
derstanding what it had been taught at school, it
was, in the great majority of cases, entirely
neglected. Every year large sums of money were
distributed by private and public enterprise for the
purpose of establishing schools all over the country,
and to such an extent has the question of education
been carried, that it has been made the subject of
party discussion and party competition—a thing
that could never be avoided, and would generally, on
the whole, lead to more good than evil in a'free
country like England. For fifty years past
they had had the State and individuals com-
peting and doing all they could for the purpose
of establishing schools, and at this moment
nearly a million of money was annually paid out
of the public purse for that purpose, and yet they
could not blink the result, viz., that at the time
when ideas were beginning to take the place of
mere sounds, and the mind was beginning to carry
away something like substance, they found that
almost the whole body of scholars were with-
drawn from their ken, and discipline, and know-
ledge, and were taken off, necessarily he was going
to say, to work. They ought, therefore, on that
account, to feel much indebted to the gentlemen
who had founded this society, and did their ut-
most for its support, and thereby drew attention
to the present unhappy state of things, and
endeavour to provide a remedy. What that
remedy should be has been and will be
the subject of controversial discussion, from
which it is to be hoped the public will be
able to collect something like practical results.
(Hear, hear.) He was not so presumptuous as to
wish to put in his oar amongst them, but he would
take the liberty of stating what he thought they
could not do, and what they ought not to attempt
to do. He was persuaded that anything like an
attempt to catch hold of the, youth of both sexes
after they had left school in an artificial manner—
that was, by holding inducements of pecuniary
profit or interest to them other than those their own
minds would induce them to take on the subject, of
education, would end in failure. (Hear, hear.) Such
a course was tempting to the clergyman, who has with
infinite labour established a school, and also to• the
lay squira who was anxious to promote the welfare of
the people on his estate, as an inducement for them
to leave their natural employment and attend
to their mental culture ; but he was persuaded that
anything of the kind would only be of a temporary
and exceptional character. What, however, they
ought to do was to establish the means of giving
both sexes instruction after the usual period of
their attending school, without interfering with
their ordinary occupations, through the instrumen-
tality of their relatives, friends, and employers.
(Hear, hear.) As an instance of the difficulties that
at present existed in keeping the children of the
agricultural labourers at school, the right hon. gen-
tleman said that about a year ago he was desirous
of doing something to promote education in his
own parish, and as an example, wanting one boy on
his farm, he thought he would take two, and
that the two should make one boy, as regarded
their work—one being at school and the other
at work alternately—a kind of Castor and Pollux,
one in heaven and the other on earth; but what
was the result ? Why, he was sorry to say that
after about three or four months' trial he found
they preferred earth to entering the gates of para-
dise; or, in other words, that they preferred dig-
ging in the soil of the earth to that of the fields of
knowledge--(hear, hear)—and they left his em-
ployment as soon as they found another master who
would employ them in the sole cultivation of the
soil. (Hear, hear.) The alternate system would not
answer, and they had no right to expect success
from it, because it was an attempt to interfere in
an artificial manner. The only enduring mode
by which they might hope to effect the con-
tinuance of the education of boys and girls
after the period when they usually left
school, would be by producing in their minds
a desire for it, either because it would promote
their interests or give them pleasure ; and to speak
plainly he saw no other mode of doing it than by
the establishment of evening schools—(hear, hear)
—where, for a slight emolument, working men of
some little education would be willing to attend
and instruct those requiring it. (Hear.) In his
district it was extensively done. The main thing,
however, after all, was to interest the people who
were to be benefited by this movement. During the
Crimean war his parishioners took a great interest
in the events of that period ; and, in order to cul-
tivate among the labourers a desire of improve-
ment that then manifested itself, he established
a reading-room for them, provided them with
paper, candles, and fire ; and, in order to make
them feel greater interest in the matter, and a
degree of independence, he made each person who
attended contribute a penny a week towards the
expenses ; and the result was that every adult in
the parish enrolled his name as a member, and
attended the reading-room ; but, at the end of the
month, one of them informed him that they could
not go on, because many of them could not read on
account that the print was so bad. He advised
them to get a reader, and they did so, and upon the
whole it answered very well. A man when 'ad-
vanced in life became aware of his deficiencies by
their being in that manner brought home to him,
and he was desirous of improving himself, but he
did not like to go to school from not being
able to stand the gibes of youngsters. Now if
such a man had an opportunity of catching an
hour's instruction, morning or evening, to bring him
up to the standard of others, he would not then be
ashamed to go to school and mix with them for
further improvement. Their object, however, must
first be to interest the people by such means as he
had pointed out, and afterwards give them the
opportunity of improving themselves and that
intellect with which God had blessed them.

The Bishop of SALISBURY seconded the resolu-
tion. In doing so he said he entirely concurred
in all that had been said by the chairman. He
fully approved of night schools for the labouring
population, and he had taken every opportunity
of informing his clergy that he thought so far as
their health and means would permit they could
not be more usefully employed in the winter months
than in superintending such schools, and, he rejoiced
to say, he believed there was no diocese in England
where there was more being done in that respect
than in the diocese of Salisbury. He was not
speaking by comparisons he had instituted, but
from information given to him by one of her
Majesty's inspectors of schools, and who had given
him most pleasing information relative to the
number and efficiency of those schools. To make
them attractive to the adult population they
must not view them simply as schools, but as a
place where they might obtain interesting infor-
mation. By that means • they might induce them
to accept that training and information which
they probably would refuse if they put the school
too much forward. (Hear.) He was of opinion
that great good would result from drawing being
introduced into all our schools, not simply as a
means .of giving a particular accomplishment, but
as an attractive means of making the people obser-
vant, and thereby acquire information they would
otherwise probably pass by. If they taught draw-
ing he thought it would be an additional induce-
ment for the people to attend them.
The resolution was unanimously agreed to.
On the motion of the Mayor of SALISBURY, se-
conded by Mr. MARSH, M.P., the officers of the
society were unanimously re-elected.
A discussion then ensued relatWe to competitive
or standard examination for the attainment of the
object in view, and whether education alone would
raise the moral status of the humbler classes, and
if not what other measures were necessary, in which
Archdeacon Honey and other gentlemen took part.
The lion. S. BEST said he was of opinion
education alone would not raise the moral status
of the humbler classes. Their social position
must be improved. They must be provided
with better cottages, and to enable them to
participate in that benefit there must be a corre-
sponding effort to put the payment of wages on
a sound basis, so that the labourer might be
able to pay his increased rent, and to put the
skilled labourer and man of integrity in his proper
position. He also advocated the establishment of
rustic games and cricket clubs for the labourer as a
diversion after the conclusion of his day's work, and
to keep his mind in .a sound, healthy, and active
state. Reading-rooms also should be supplied for
them as an inducement for them to abandon the pub-
lic-house? but at the same time refreshment must be

provided for them, in addition to good light and a
comfortable fire. The higher classes possessed these
luxuries in their clubs, and he saw no reason why the
labouring man should not in his reading-room have
a glass of beer or a cup of tea or coffee. Such a
reading-room had existed in his parish for four
years, and to one cup of beer drank there there had
been six cups of coffee. (fear, hear.) Unless they
gave the labourer some inducement to leave the
public-house, the labour of such societies would
be in vain, and he felt confident that were reading-
rooms, such as he had named, multiplied through-
out the land, the publichouse would be less fre-
quented, and the moral state of the labouring
population raised.
After some further dismission of an interesting
character the proceedings terminated.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, WEDNESDAY MORNING.
A REUNION. . I
The Belfast papers of yesterday announce that
the Right Hon. Spencer Horatio Walpole, Secre-
tary.for the Home Department, who is at present
staying at the Abbey, the seat of Mr. It. Davison,
M.P., with other distinguished guests, visited Bel-
fast, accompanied by Mrs. and Miss Walpole, Sir
H. Cairns, Solicitor-General for England, the Right
Hon. James Whiteside, Attorney-General for Ire-
land, and Mrs. Whiteside, Miss Tennent, Mr. R.
Davison, M.P.,Mr. A. B. Davison, and Miss
Davison, Mr. enry H. M'Neill, Mr. Greatorex,
&c. At 2 o'clock on Monday the entire party
paid a visit to the Deaf and Dumb Institution,
and were received by the Principal, the Rev. 1.
Kingham, to whom the several distinguished visi-
tors were introduced by Mr. Davison. Donations
were then handed to Mr. Kingham, in aid of the
funds of the institution, and the visitors took
their departure. The Right Hon. the Home Secre-
tary, Mrs., and Miss Walpole, the Right Hon. the
Attorney-General and Mrs. Whiteside, Miss Ten-
nent, Mr. R. Davison, M.P., Mr. A. B. Davison,
Miss Davison, and Mr. Greatorex then drove, at
three o'clock, to the Queen's College, where they
were received by Dr. Andrews, Vice-President.
There were also present at the College the Rev. Dr.
Cooke (Presbyterian Dean of Residences), Pro-
fessor Craik, Professor Dickie, Professor Hodges,
Professor W. Thompson, Rev. Richard Oulton
(Registrar), and Mr. Alex. Dickey (Bursar). Mr.
Davison introduced Dr. Andrews, Dr. Cooke, and
the several professors, &c., to Mr. Walpole. The
entire party were then conducted through the
library, museum, lecture-halls, &c., of the College,
by Dr. Andrews, and they expressed their entire
satisfaction with the appearance of the whole.
Having walked round the College grounds, and
visited the observatory, they next proceeded to the
Presbyterian College, through which they were
conducted by the Rev. Dr. Cooke. They expressed
themselves highly pleased with this institution ;
and the portrait of Dr. Cooke, which occupies a
place on the end wall of the large hall, was the
subject of general admiration. They then drove to
the Botanic-gardens, and, after visiting the censer-
vatory and examining the different parts of the
gardens, they expressed themselves greatly pleased
with the entire premises. Having left the gar-
dens, they entered the carriages which were in
waiting for them, and returned to the Abbey.
BALLINASLOE FAIR.
The second day's sheep fair was by no means as
satisfactory as the graziers anticipated. The suc-
cess of the first day, however, may be taken as a
reasonable set-off to the failure of yesterday.
THE GOVERNMENT PROVISION CONTRACT.
The Cork Reporter says it
.is generally thought
among those who ought to be well informed on the
subject that the contract for 10,250 barrels, and
7,000 tierces of beef, and 15,000 tierces and 7,700
barrels of pork, will average about £7 10s. for
pork, and for beef about £7.

THE GREAT WALL OF

A letter from Shanghae of the 2d August, in the
Moniteur, contains the following interesting account
of a visit to the Great Wall of China :
" The treaties of Tien-sinhaving been ratified by
the Emperor Hien-Foung, Baron Gros was desirous ,
of visiting the Great Wall, and of judging, from
personal observation, of the correctness of the
statements representing it as commencing in the
sea at the entrance of the Bay of Leo-Toung. At 7
o'clock in the morning of the 11th July, the Am-
bassador, followed by his secretaries and attaches,
embarked on board the small steamer the Pregent,
The distance of the Wall from the place where the
Audacieuse frigate was at anchor was thought to
be from 30 to 40 leagues. Towards evening, the
weather not being very clear, it was thought pru-
dent not to approach too close to the shore, and the
steamer came to an anchor in the offing. At day-
break on the following morning she again got under
weigh, and soon after the Wall appeared in view.
It looked like a long range of buildings of the same
height, crenellated, and traversing the plain from
the sea to the foot of the chain of mountains which
run parallel with the coast, but at more than a league
inland. An hour after, the Wall, with its crenellated
top, forts, jetties running out into the sea, and the
pagoda on the shore, were perfectly distinct in all
their details. We had before us the most pictu-
resque prospect that can be imagined; along the
sea coast the vast plain is covered with the most
luxuriant vegetation, with numerous villages
buried in trees, and at the back a horizon of lofty
mountains. At the foot of the Wall, on the
side of China, were seen the white tents of two Tar-
tar camps, with their horses grazing at liberty
around. Seen from the Chinese side the Wall re-
sembles an immense work in earth, crowned with
crenelated wall in brick, but in a very dilapi-
dated
state. On the Mantchouria side, on the con-
trary, it is built of brick on a foundation of stone.
It has, along the whole length, square towers at a
distance from each other of about, two bowshots'
length, so that the enemy might be struck from
either of them. It runs down into the sea by two
parallel jetties, the incline of which is so slight that
persons landing from a boat may easily walk up to
them. The largest vessels may approach to within
about two miles of this spot, which is the place
where future tourists ought to land. Unfortunately.
we were not then aware of this fact, and we came
to an anchor at a spot where the landing was not
very easy. The shore was soon covered with
Chinese from the neighbouring villages. M. Mar-
ques, the interpreter to the mission, and Count
d'Ozery, the commandant of the Pregent, were the
first to go on shore, in order to confer with the au-
thorities, and ascertain whether any objection would
be made to the landing of the party. A mandarin,
mounted on a white horse, and 'followed by two
horsemen, arrived from the camp to inquire what
these men, come from an unknown world, wanted.
On receiving pacific assurances from our interpreter,
he said no opposition would be made to the disem-
barkation. When all were on shore, we proceeded
direct towards the Wall. We had to cross several
rivulets which ran down towards the sea, and we were
afterwards obliged to strike a little more inland, in
order to find ground rather less moist. As we
approached towards the Wall, we observed the
Tartars mounting their horses, and betraying by
their gestures considerable emotion. They sepa-
rated
into three bodies—one remained on horseback
in front of the tents, thus cutting off the road to
the Wall ; another proceeded on our left, where
they alighted among the high grass ; and the third
advanced at a hand gallop to meet us. They asked • '
whence we came, where we were going, and told
us that they would not allow us to advance any
farther. Their chief, they said, was absent, and
they could not take on themselves the responsibility
of permitting us to approach. You may judge of
our astonishment when we learned from these men,
encamped as it were at the very gates of the capi-
tal, that they had heard nothing of their country
ha 'ring been at war with France and England.
The taking of Canton, the bombardment of Takou,
and the peace concluded at Tien-tsin, they were
completely ignorant of. After a little negotiation
we thought we had got over our difficulty, and we
were allowed to advance, but we had not proceeded
more than 300 or 400 yards when some fresh horse-
men advanced and urgently impressed on us the
propriety of not going any farther. With our
escort of 12 men well armed, and our revolvers, we
might have kept off those 300 Tartar horsemen,
and have mounted the Wall in spite of them, but
the Ambassadk r was anxious to avoid any dispute,
and would not compromise his position for the
mere gratification of curiosity. After having
taken a few sketches, purchased some fans from
the Tartars, and astonishing a whole host of
Chinese by letting them taste our brandy,
and look at our watches and compasses, Baron
Gros returned to the boats. These Tartar
horsemen had neither bows nor arrows, but they
all had matchlock guns slung over their shoulders.
Their powder appeared to be very coarse, and in
addition to ball they had in their cartouch•box es
small pellets of lead. Each man carried in his larre
boots his pipe and fan. Before leaving the coas t
we went in the Pregent to have another view of
the country on the other side of the Great Wall,
opposite the plains of Mantchouria, which were
covered with the most extraordinary verdure, onl.y
to be found in countries :where the ground aft er
being long buried in snow is vivified by a hot sum.
The Wall was seen growing up as it were out 'uf
this exuberant vegetation, and ascending the sic to
of the mountain to follow, for more than 60 0
leagues, the half-savage countries which extend ao
far as the confines of Mongolia and the Kou-Kou- •
Noor. After having for some time contemplated
this magnificent scene, Baron Gros gave the signal
for departure, and the Pregent steered for the
Toki Islands, where the Audacieuse frigate was
waiting for us."

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