The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 8, 1869.

which marked the earlier stages of that drama.
With that exception, a more enlarged view, a more
sound understanding, or one more practised by
study than Mr. Burke's never was bestowed upon a
human being. (Loud cheers.) Yet, marvellous
to tell, in all his productions, whether in his
speeches or in his printed discourses or in his printed
publications, we cannot find, or, at least, I cannot
recollect in the many volumes that I have read, any
one allusion to popular ignorance or the necestity of
better teaching for the people. It is clear and dis-
tinct what a great change has taken place since his
day. I will venture to say that no man, had he
lived in our time, would have more applied himself
to this subject than Mr. Burke. He might have
differed with us in being alarmed at one time, and
at another time in thinking that we carried it too
far, but that he should have been silent upon it,
that he should, to use a fashionable phrase, have
"ignored the subject," was utterly and absolutely
impossible. (Hear, hear.) We are now come to a
state of things when it can no longer be said that
mechanics institutions are of themselves fitted to
attain those great objects for which they were 25 or
30 years ago founded. They have in a great mea-
sure succeeded. They have given rise to other in-
stitutions, better adapted to some classes of the com-
munity than those. But at that time, when I was
a humble supporter of Dr. Birkbeck, the founder of
mechanics' institutes—(cheers)—l was clearly of
opinion, and strongly urged in an address which I
published, of which I have lying before me the 20th
edition—an address to employers of workmen, and
to workmen, upon education—that the establish-
ment of mechanics institutes was a necessity, where
they could be had; or lecture's, where there were
the means of obtaining a lecture-room, and paying
for lecturers ; but that, where these' could not be
had, a great good, an important service was ren-
dered by having libraries, reading-rooms, and
newsrooms for the people. (Cheers.) I remember
it was said that there was a great difficulty
in establishing these institutions for want of ap-
paratus.. But it was singular, when you came to
consider it, how much might have been done with
very little apparatus indeed, and it is worth consi-
dering. " Great.progress may be made with very
cheap and simple experiments. Indeed, some of the
most important, if not the most showy, are the
least costly and complicated. By far the grandest
discoveries in natural science were made with
hardly any apparatus. A pan of water and two
thermometers were the tools which in the skilful
hands of Dr. Black detected latent heat. A crown's
worth of glass, three pennyworth of salt, a little
chalk, and a pair of scales enabled the same great
philosopher to found the system of modern chemis-
try, by tracing the existence and the combinations
of fixed air. With little more machinery the genius
of Scheele (the 'great Swedish chemist) created the
materials *of which the fabric was built, and antici-
pated some of the discoveries that have illustrated
a later age. A prism, a lens, and a sheet of paste-
board enabled Newton to unfold the composition of
light and the origin of colours. Franklin ascer-
tained the nature of lightning with a kite, a wire,
a bit of riband, and a key. To say nothing of the
great chemist of our own day (Davy), of whose most
useful, perhaps most philosophical discovery, the
safety-lamp, the principle might have been traced
with the help of a common wire fireguard, even the
elements of mechanics may be explained by an ap-
paratus almost as simple. To take one instance,
the fundamental property of the lever, and I may
say of the whole science, may it not be demon-
strated by a foot-rule, a knife, and :a few leaden
balls of equal sizo ? The other mechanical powers,
which for the most part are resolvable into the lever,
may be explained with almost equal ease ; and
after all, it is those principles that practical men
must require to have unfolded, and their applica-
tion to mechanism illustrated by figures and in-
struments." I have been committing a plagiarism.
I have borrowed this passage ; but it is an inno-
cent theft, for it is a theft from myself. (Cheers.)
It bears, therefore, the same relation to common
theft that suicide does to murder. (Cheers and
laughter.) I have once more to congratulate you
upon the spectacle to day of these young men, chil
dren, I may say, of both sexes, in their enlarged,
promoted, and protected studies and it is a most sa-
tisfactory circumstance that they are not generally
dependance, but that, generally speaking, their
parents provide the costs of their tuition. (Great
cheering.)
Mr. HARRY CHESTER, of the Society of Arts,
gave a lengthy exposition of the system of examina-
tion introduced by that body during the last few
years, and moved the following resolution :
"That the system of annual public examinations of can-
didates for prizes, whether conducted in provincial unions
of institutions, or as °Aired to the• whole country by the
Society of Arts, affords a means of testing the efficiency
and stimulating the efforts of the evening classes, and of
enabling employers of labour to select from the beat con-
ducted youths attending them such as show by talent, in-
dustry, perseverance, and good conduct that they deserve
confidence."
Lord BROUGUAM, in the course of Mr. Chester's
speech, interposed to remark that the word so-
ciology," applied to the movement of the Social
Science Association, had never been used by the
promoters of that body. (Hear.)
Mr. 11. Moon seconded the motion, which was
carried unanimously.

classes in this country, but more especially by the
working class, has made England what England is
to-day. (Cheers.) There is generally observed a
natural and to seine extent harmless tendency in
places originally established for purposes of instruc-
tion, to become places of amusement instead. lam
told that here that is not the case; that those who
frequent your evening classes do so with the pur-
pose of obtaining instruction, and that the kind of
instruction they seek is generally speaking of a
practical and even homely character, sougilt with
a practical object and fitted to repair the defects of
their early school teaching, and fitting them for
situations of confidence and trust, and so enabling
them to raise their social position. Looking also
to the class from whom the members are taken, I
find it stated that the great majority. of your sub-
scribers are factory workers—that is, they belong
precisely to that class in .society for whom these
institutions were originally destined. The ages of
the great majority range between 15 and 18, thus
including the times when common school teaching
is at an end, and when the mind still retains so
much of the vigour and freshness of youth as to be
most capable of acquiring and assimilating new
ideas. I trouble you with these matters of detail be-
cause it is just such points as those to which I have
referred that constitute the whole distinction be-
tween the efficiency and inefficiency of an institu-
tion of this character. (Hear.) Looking at the ages
of those who are receiving instruction, the class
from whom they are taken, the generous, popular
character of the teaching given, and the willingness
of its recipients to pay out of their own, it may be,
very limited funds for the advantages they are con-
scious of deriving, I am satisfied on the evidence of
these reports that your education is founded on a
sound and solid basis, and that the work it is doing
is real and genuine work. I 'am still more encou-
raged in that belief by those statistics of progress
to which Lord Brougham has referred. I won't
trouble you with figures, but it is an easy thing to
recollect that whereas your candidates for prizes
two years ago were only 20, they were last year 95
and this year 168, making an increase of more than
eight-fold in less than 24 months. The attendance
at the evening classes, moreover, has, I think, more
than doubled within the last 12 months ; and I am
particularly glad to observe that the average of at-
tendance has increased in a more rapid proportion
than the number of members, showing a great im-
provement in regularity. These are slight but, so
far as they go, real and valuable indications of pro-
gress. Of course, in such an undertaking, as in any
other, you can have no absolute security of success,
or perfect guarantee against failure; but we are en-
titled to judge of the future by comparing the pre-
sent with the past, and taking that test, the East
Lancashire Union appears to be making a steady,
rapid and continuous advance. (Cheers.) It is pro-
bably needless to explain to you the special and
characteristic advantages of that system of uniting
institutions formerly isolated which you have here
organised and set on foot. In the first place, it gives,
if one may say so, greater importance and dignity
to the work on which you are engaged. Fify or 100
small institutions collected into a single organisa-
tion fill a much larger space in the public eye than
any one of them or all of them taken separately and
singly. In the next place, it is only by bringing to-
gether a large number of pupils, whether from one
place or many places, that you can obtain enough
of them, who are interested in the same class of
subjects, to secure a real and effective competition
for prizes. Thirdly, if in any place a new experi-
• ment in the way of teaching has met with great
• success or failure, all the other institutions in union
. obtain the benefit of the experience so acquired, in
a manner which, but for this connexion between
them, would be impossible. Lastly, and it is to
this perhaps that I should attach importance most
of all, a dozen, or still more 100 institutions in
union are able to afford that which no one of them
can, to pay for first•elass teachers, to retain their
exclusive services, to bring them, if necessary, from
• distant parts, and to employ them, as I understand
is your practice here, in going round from one in-
• stitution to another, teaching, perhaps, on one, two,
three, or more days in the week, and so not only
directly instructing the pupils themselves, but
showing the local teachers, whom you must call in
to assist on other occasions, how instruction may
most effectually be conveyed. (Cheers.) That
being the-system which you adopt, there can be no
doubt that it simplifies, so to, speak, your means of
action, and enables you to produce a very consider-
able result with a comparatively small outlay. If
this experiment of yours succeeds, and the progress
you have made during three years of your expe-
rience is destined to continue, not only will you
have gien a great stimulus to the educational move-
ment in these parts generally, but you will have
applied it exactly in the manner mast required.
• (Hear, hear.) Something has been said to-night
about the provision made for teaching in schools.
Whatever may be the faults or merits of that sys-
tem of school teaching—though I don't think it all
perfect—l wish to do it all justice, and Ido not
think that in the actual constitution of society it
gets fair play. Parliament votes about three-quar-
ters of a million for schools for the instruction
chiefly of the children of the working class. Nearly
twice as much, or perhaps a million and a-half more,
is contributed for the same purpose, partly by the
parents themselves, and in much greater measure
from the benevolence or sensibility of those inte-
rested in this cause. Now, what happens ? A very
large number of our working children go to school,
they attend while there pretty regularly, and they
learn to read, to write, and to cipher with tole-
rable ease. But if you take the average of Eng-
land through, the schooling of children ceases
between the ages of 12 and 10—I am afraid nearer
10 than 12. (Hear, hear.) They read or learn no-
thing more; what they have picked up at school is
apt to be quickly forgotten ; and probably I should
not be overstating the case if I said, speaking per-
haps of the agricultural districts rather than these,
that of every three, or perhaps every two lads who
at 15 are able to read and write, with tolerable
comfort to themselves, only one can do the same
when he reaches the age of 25. (Hear, hear.) Now,
what is the effect of that ? Why clearly that of this
large sum voted by Parliament, and of the vast
sums added by private exertions, a large proportion
is, for all practical and ultimate results, as absolutely
wasted as if it had been thrown into the sea. (Hear.)
To some extent, you cannot prevent that state of
things. Young men and lads who have their bread
to earn may or may not study, but they must work.
(Hear, hear.) From a very early time, their days
are taken up with their daily work, and if any in-
struction is to be provided for them at all, it can
only be by the means of the evening school. It is
precisely that form of instruction which you provide
here, and beyond supplying the school, you afford
an incentive and inducement to attend it by your
system of examinations, the competition for prizes,
and the public honour and respect which on occa-
sions like the present you pay to intellect, industry,
and culture. (Cheers.) These honours are, if I
may so say, a sample and a foretaste only of the
more substantial distinctions which later life pre-
sents to those who arc competent to obtain them.
You whom I address are Lancashire men, you know
the conditions of life in these swarming regions of
the north, where every man, be he rich or poor, is a
worker, and where fortunes arc made with hardly
less rapidity than in America or Australia. -You
will own, therefore, how false and foolish is that
belief, sometimes entertained in ignorance, sometimes
it may be professed to be entertained with no goad
purpose, that England affords no scope for the so-
cial ambition of the working man. I believe that
one of the most interesting volumes that could pos-
sibly be written, which when it is written, ought
to find a place in every hamlet, and almost in
every cottage, would be a biographical record of
a few select instances, at least, of those eminent and
illustrious persons who, in various occupations and
departments of life, have raised themselves from
the ranks. Many a story might be told in such a
volume that would buoy up the courage and cheer
the heart of the struggling operative in his most
distressed hours. (Cheers.) But you need no such
volume to recall to your recollections the fortunes
and the fame of the elder Stephenson, you do not
require to be told of the rise and of the wealth of
Arkwright, and, above all, you in these districts,
and meeting in this ball, know well, and history
will record, what was the origin of the family of
Peel. (Cheers.) You may say, no doubt, that these
are remarkable instances. Remarkable instances
the:; are, exceptional instances I believe they are
not. I believe that there is net one town, westward
from here to Li7erpool, or if you look eastward,
over the hills, there is not one town in all the West
Riding where you may not find at least some one
or two men who are wealthy and powerful, men
who are large employers of labour, men who per-
haps arc magistrates, and men who are looked up to
in the. society in which they reside, who have in
early life earned their 15s. or 206. a week, it may be
no
eatthit. I:esnruoce;n: be,
some
taohysuasi)vot)aef.
in the -very mill of which they afterwards became
tchheanocwenfeoi;
.s.all(lTleileol•
1;371),
Many competent men must doubtless fail, and by
no u faultn human
affairs
ibse
ft
not equally deserved fortune unaccountably, and
even undeservedly, succeed. But whatever may be
these uncertainties of fortune, it is something at
least to know that to educated and intelligent men
the door stands open, and the course is cleared. It
is something to know, as was lately said at Man-
It
chester, that to every man the opportunity comes
while lbeer:eitnita:
once in his life—(cheers)—and something still to

Lord STANLEY, who rose amidst enthusiastic cheer-
ing, said,—My noble and venerable friend in the
chair—and when I speak of Lord Brougham I use
those epithets not as words of courtesy and of
course, but as expressing the universal feeling of
this country (cheers)—my noble and venerable
friend has anticipated some of the topics upon which
I intended to have touched to-night ; and you have
heard from Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Chester, and Mr.
Moore details which their long experience and
official position render more accurate than any I
could furnish. I stand before you personally as a
stranger, not indeed in this county, but in this dis-
trict. I am acquainted with the proceedings of
this East Lancashire Union of yours only through
the means of the printed report, and since we have
long ago got past the time when people felt it ne-
cessary to talk generalities in defence of the prac-
tice of giving instruction to the people ; since we
have learnt for the last quarter of a eentury to take
all that for granted, I really feel some difficulty, in
the absence of local knowledge, in knowing whether
you will consider what I am about to address to
you worth the hearing. This, however, you will
allow me to say, before touching on any other sub-
ject, that I beg to congratulate the people of this
town upon the unexampled spectacle which this
hall affords to-night. You have here present one
who for 60 years has been the foremost champion'of
the educational cause (cheers), and in days when
that cause was not, as now, a means of popularity,
but met with bitier opposition in many and very
important quarters. You have here men who, like
Sir James Shuttleworth, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr.
Chester, have, in little conspicuous, but still public
positions, given years of energy and labour to that
movement. You have here in .what lam told are
numbers very unusual, the operatives of this and the
surrounding towns. You have also on this platform
for the purpose of paying clue honours to prizemen
of the working class, and of promoting and extend-
ing, so far as in them may lie, the education of that
class, and assembled in numbers greater than ever
before for any educational purpose, those who repre-
sent the science, mechanical skill, enterprise, and
capital of these East Lancashire districts. (Cheers.)
This is a sight which, anywhere and at any time,
would be very satisfactory. It is the more grati
fying now, at a time when not only in this, but in
all parts of the country, the relations between em-
ployers and employed are the subject of anxious
and sometimes, I fear, acrimonious discussion.
(Hear, bear.) It is doubly gratifying, because it
shows that, here at least, the employer on the
one hand, and the operative on the other, feel how
closely and intimately their interests are united,
and how both feel that the relation between them
cannot be one merely of bargain or contract, but
must rest upon the firmer and more durable busis
of personal interest and example. (Cheers.) From
the able summary of the proceedings of this asso-
ciation, of which I hold a copy in my hand, I col-
lect that the object of this East Lancashire Union
is, I don't say identical with, but generally simi-
lar to that of a kindred and perhaps rival society
established in another part of this county, with
its head-quarters at Manchester, and of which a
meeting was held no longer ago than Tuesday
last. There may be wide differences in manage-
ment and detail, but the leading fundamental idea,
I take it, of both associations, is the same—to
give strength, spirit, aid encouragement, to a num-
ber of s nall educational establishments, scattered
up and down the country (in your case over a circle
.20 miles across), by uniting them together, by sup-
plying them with a common centre of action, by
encouraging a mutual and healthy competition be-
tween their respective members, by enabling them
to obtain the services of a better class of teachers
than they could singly and separately command,
and by bringing the experience of each to bear for
the benefit o all. I find it stated, further, that the
majority of these associated institutions are, as from
the physical characteristics of this district they
a:most necessarily trust be, very small ; that
they consist for the most part of evening
classes, a library, and a news-room, and, as I
learn with more than ordinary satisfaction, that
though, of course, assistance from the wealthier
or middle classes is not refused when tendered,
still these institutions are not in the habit of
relying on that aid, but are supported and carried
.on mainly out of the subscriptions of those ivho use I
them, and out of the wages of the working men.
(Cheers.) Long, I trust, may that independence

continue. It is the best and surest guarantee of be assured, as I am confident are many of those
the permanence and success of the work on which whom I address, that if the opportunity comes it
you are engaged, and it is the same spirit of inde- will not be missed through ignorance, or apathy,
pendence and preference for self-help over help or sloth, while, unhappily, if it should
offered by others that, shown as it bas been by all fail to come, we at least have had the

consolation of knowing that the failure arose
from causes above and beyond your con-
trol, and that you have not been unfaithful to your.
own destinies. (Loud cheers.)
• Lord BROUGHAM—There is a circumstance which
I must state in justice to Professor Craik, of Belfast,
and it is the more fit that I should mention it,
because he is now a candidate to succeed Sir David
Brewster, at St. Leonard's College, St. Andrew's.
My noble friend, Lord Stanley, has very naturally
suggested a work which I think ought to be pub-
lished under the title he suggests, and no longer
under the title of Mr. Craik's work—" The Pursuit
of Knowledge Under Difficulties." It was pub-
lished under that title 35 or 40 years ago by the
Useful Knowledge Society, and the consequence is
that many persons are not aware from reading the
advertisement of it merely that it really is a bio-
graphy of self-raised men. I was then president
of that society, and I suggested that title, and it
woul I have been better, and more descriptive of
the thing to have called it, "The Biography of
Self-raised Men,"—men who were the " architacts
of.their own fortunes." It applies to all countries
as well as to England, Scotland, and Ireland. My
opinion is, with my noble friend, that it would be
much better to cull out of that work the biographies
of self-raised men—the Watts, the Arkwrights,
and so forth, belonging to this country, and to have
them in a small separate volume under that title,
which is more descriptive of the thing than the
title which Professor Craik's work now bears.
(Cheers.)
The Rev. Canon RrcusoN, on presenting a prize,
which was the gift of- Mr. Adderloy, M.P., said,
he must explain why he felt especial pleasure in
being on this oocasion the medium of that gentle-
man's generosity. Eight years ago Sir J. K.
Shuttleworth and himself (Mr. Richson), with a
number of influential and leading gentlemen of
Manchester, were very earnestly engaged in en-
deavouring to secure the sanction of Parliament
for an educational measure. " What," it might be
asked, "could the people of Manchester see
nothing being done but they must interfere
in this matter, and concoct a scheme of their
own ?" They were quite aware that much
was being done, and he could not now
stand up in the presence of Lord Brougham
without acknowledging his efforts. A summary of
his lordship's actions was described in the words of
the noble lord's own preface addressed to Dr. Birk-
beck :—" I have many times endeavoured to bring
the subject of elementary education before Parlia-
ment; but the lukewarmness of some, and the
honest—and by me ever to be respected objections"
—he (Mr. Richson) believed " objections' was the
word,—
Lord BROUGHAM.—Prejudices,
Mr. RICHSON.—" Of others have been the impe-
diment to my desire." Nor could he (Mr. Richson)
forget the labours of Sir J. K. Shuttleworth and
others in the same cause. Indeed, when he was told
upon the authority even of the Registrar-General
that we hid increased in education from 1 in 17 in
1818, to 1 in 11 in 1833, and 1 in 8 in 1851, it would
seem prepasterous that he should deny that great
progress had been made. But he regretted exceed-
ingly to find such a statement endorsed perpetually,
and even in the House of Commons. It was no such
thing. It was very well known, as the Digest of
1818 declared, that a great proportion of the private
schools were not returned at that time; and the
education of that period, such as it was, was the
education of the private adventure school. There-
fore, the comparison of 1818 with 1851 was most
unfair. (Hear.) The same might be said of 1833..
No doubt great progress had been made. We had
destroyed the dame-schools and ads enture-schools,
and gathered the children from those wretched
places of instruction into schools well systematised
and under capable teachers. It was a glorious thing
to see the vast number of schools of all denomina-
tions springing up in every direction, and we were
encouraged to believe that there was an apprecia-
tion of education abroad which would produce yet
more gladdening results. But in Manchester they
had looked at what was still left undone. They
might be supposed to know something of their
own locality; and they calculated the almost in-
credible number—he forgot it exactly at this
moment, but he believed it was nearly 30,000—0 f
children between the ages of 3 and 16 who were
neither at school nor at work, but receiving their
education in the streets. Seeing that state of
things, they arranged, under circumstances of a
most extraordinary character, a measure to be pre-
sented to Parliament. it was using very strong
terms, but he believed there never was seen in this.
country such a committee, composed of such ele-
ments, in favour of a measure, as was seen then in
the committee-room at Manchester. It comprised
persons of every considerable religious denomina-
tion or shade of political opinion, except, he be-
lieved, only two classes of their townsmen, who
were norsufficiently able to co-operate. However,
they had certainlra large majority of the people in
their favour, and their principles were such as to
commend themselves to every person desirous of
promoting education, and such as he believed would
be accepted and acted on when, as Lord Stanley
remarked at Manchester, the working men agitated,
themselves, for their own advantage. First, there
were to be local rates, to supplement and stimulate
the Parliamentary grants and voluntary contribu-
tions ; secondly, there was to be local management,
co-operating with but not subordinate to central
administration ; thirdly, the parent was to choose
his own school, and wherever the child went the
rate was to go with it ; finally, in the erection and
constitution Of schools the founders were to deter-
mine the religious instruction, provided they did
not insist on any dogmatic religious teaching of the
children of parents who objected. Those being the
principles of the most equitable measure (as h be-
lieved) ever presented to Parliament, its promoters
were anxious to have it fairly'and fully discussed,
not only in the house but in committee, believing
that wtain points would there be settled which
could not be exactly agreed upon between them-
selves and others. But their great difficulty was,
among the friends of education to find any one who
would take the matter up and introduce it, though
backed by the support cf 40,000 rate-payers. Who
was the person that came to their aid on that occa-
sion ? Mr. Adderley. (Cheers.) Mr. Adderley
was, therefore, the working man's friend in that.
matter, and this he exhorted the working men pre-
sent to remember, while endeavouring for their
own sakes to carry out that for which he and Sir
John Pakington and many others had laboured.
(Cheers.)
Mr. E. POTTER moved the second resolution :
" That the School of Art established at Burnley, and
having drawing classes established in Accrington and Has-
lingien, tends to promote that taste and skill in design
wbilh arc essential to the highest success of the manufac-
turing enterprise of the district."
He had been invited by Sir J. Kay Shuttleworth
to be present, not only as an old friend, but because
he was told the people of Accrington would wel-
come him on the two grounds of his being a calico-
printer and a promoter of the Manchester School
of Design. (Cheers.) Speaking from that platform,
he was unable to omit referring to a man who had
been the great ornament of the print trade, the late
James Thompson of Clitheroe, a scholar and a gen-
tleman, and a thoroughly benevolent man, from
whose lips he had heard 30 years ago all the senti-
ments uttered on this occasion, and who essayed
himself on a small scale the schemes now carried
out by this association. (Cheers.) Mr. Thompson
put up notices that he would take no apprentices
unless they had some education, His (Mr.
Potter's) friend, Mr. Wrigley of Bury, would even
go so fir as to try to obtain a legal enactment •to
the same effect. Ho (Mr: Potter) resided in a neigh-
bourhood similar to this, in that most critical period
of transition when the town was emerging from a
village, and he observed with great satisfaction the
efforts making in such places to promote intelli-
gence and morality, not only by elementary educa-
tion, but by encouraging. young men to elevated
tastes and pursuits. (Cheers.)
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Sir J. K. SHUTTLEIVORTH proposed, amid loud
cheering, a vote of thanks to Lord Brougham for
presiding,. He knew very well that they were too
near the scene of that great triumph over slavery
whMi the West Riding of Yorkshire achieved in
his election not to give its hero a hearty welcome
if he once came among them again. He knew also
that they were too thoroughly in earnest, not
oily the middle classes, but the working classes
of this great and flourishing district, upon the
subject of public education, not to receive with
the warmest gratitude the patriarch of that move-
ment. (Cheers.) He had invited Lord Stanley
to be present, because he wished the aristocracy of
Lancashire t J do honour to Lord Brougham ; and
he had also invited eminent representatives of its
science and enterprise and capital to meet the town
and country•people of this great district of East
Lancashire, which promised to become one great
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in great relations of capital and labour, to represent
cited all his life, and to show the
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and a common interest which he trusted world issue

in a growing partnership of capital and labour.
(Great cheering.)
Mr. W. FAIRBAIRN, of Manchester, seconded the
motion, which was carried by acclamation.
Lord 131-tbuGium—l return you my most hearty
thanks for your very kind reception. I can only
say that, comparing the two roses, the white rose
and the red, my Yorkshire friends and my Lanca-
shire friends, I find little or no difference between
the two. (Cheers.)
This concluded the proceedings.

L AIV INTELLIGENCE, Nov. 7.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
ILATTAN V. KEANE.
This was a demurrer to a plea to an action for an
infringement of the plaintiff's copyright in some
music composed by him as an accompaniment to the
dramatic representation to the play of " Much Ado
about Nothing," by using the music without the
plaintiff's permission. The question raised was in
effect whether this was a musical composition within
the meaning of the Copyright Acts. The plea
alleged that the defendant employed the plaintiff
to compose the music, and that he, and not the
author, was the composer of the music.
Mr. R. E. Turner, for the plaintiff, submitted
that the meaning of a " composer," or " author,"
under the Copyright Acts was the man in whose
mind the thoughts arose, or from whose mind the
thoughts flowed, which were embodied in the cora-
positiol and that the defendant, who did not com-
pose a note of the music, could not be the composer
of it, because he had employed the plaintiff, who did
compose it, and that the copyright had not passed
out of the plaintiff, and could not without assign-
ment in writing.
Mr. liuddlestone, for the defendant, submitted
that the plea was a good answer to the action. The
design of the dramatic piece was the defendant's,
and he employed the plaintiff on the distinct under-
standing that what he did was to be part of the
defendant's dramatic piece, and that he was to have
the sole right of using it. The plaintiff was em-
ployed just like .a scene painter, or dancer, to carry
out a design which flowed from the defendant.
The Court were of opinion on the facts that judg-
ment should- be for the defendant, and that he was
the author of the design of the dramatic piece, and
found the capital and skill employed in it, and that
the music so composed by the plaintiff, by the em-
ployment and under the direction of the defendant,
became the property of the defendant, and he had
the right to use it. The very terms of the engage-
ment led to this judgment.
Judgment for the defendant.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE, Nov. 7.

MANSION HOUSE.—FIRES IN THE CITY:
It will be remembered that, about a month ago, a
fire took place upon the premises of the Patent Pa-
raffin Light Company, in Bucklersbury; and that,
in accordance with the 'desire expressed by a depu-
tation of inhabitants (on behalf of whom Mr. Hub-
bard, solicitor, whose offices adjoin the Paraffin
Company's, acted as spokesman) requested Mr. Ser-
geant Payne, the City Coroner, to hold an inquest
upon the fire, and at the same time directed the
City Solicitor to attend and watch the proceedings.
The Coroner held an inquest accordingly, and Mr.
Pearson, City Solicitor, now attended to report
the result ; Mr. Hubbard being also present on be-
half of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood ; and
Mr. Tindal Atkinson, instructed by Mr. T. H.
Smith, Frederick-place, Old Jewry, on behalf of the
Patent Paraffin Light Company.
The Lord Mayor inquired of Mr. Pearson what
had been the result of the inquest.
Mr. Pearson said it would appear from the ver-
dict of the jury; and he proposed that that verdict,
as well as the coroner's summing up, should be read,
and that afterwards Mr. Tindal Atkinson, who had
made a promise to the jury that the suggestions
should be carried out, should state what course his
clients were prepared to adopt.
ThO 'Lcird Mayor agreed with Mr. Pearson that
that was the proper course to adopt.
The summing up and the verdict were read ac-
cordingly, the latter being to the effect that the fire
was accidental ; but that there had been great ne-
glect, and an absence of proper precautions, and that
Paraffin oil could not be stored in large quantities
without danger.
Mr. Hubbard then addressed the Lord Mayor.
The verdict of the jury, ho said, had placed the
Paraffin Company in the position of a party con-
victed, and called up for judgment before a superior
court. The company had accepted the verdict, and
it was •_ for the Lord Mayor to say what further
steps should be taken.
The Lord Mayor thought it better that Mr. At-
kinson should first state what had been the result
of the promise made by him to the jury.
Mr. Atkinson said Paraffin oil had recently come
into extensive use, as a cheap and brilliantly burn-
ing oil, and it could not be the wish either of his
lordship or the city solicitor to fetter the freedom
of trade in any way while it was carried on consis-
tently with the safety of the public. His client was
quite ready to adopt any suggestion that could be
made so as to ensure safety in the conduct of his
business.
The Lord Mayor—Then I will make a suggestion
at once which ought to be satisfactory both to him
and his neighbours. That is, that he shall only store
the oil in small quantities, and shall keep it in a fire-
proof building.
Mr. Atkinson—He has endeavoured to carry out
the promise which I gave to the jury, and I believe
the largest quantity of oil that has since been on
the premises is ten casks. He only intends to carry
on his business wholesale, and your lordship can-
not surely wish to drive such trade entirely out of
the city any more than the trade in other articles
of an inflammable nature, such as turpentine for
instance, for while paraffin does not ignite under
130 degrees, turpentine ignites at 90; and besides
paraffin oil' is not at all like naphtha—the material
concerned in Lester's case, and which ignites at 62
degrees.
Mr. Pearson—l must pretest against your re-
opening the question, Mr. Atkinson, for if you do
I must go into it also.
Mr. Atkinson—Then I will only say, that my
client is prepared for the future only to keep ten
casks of oil on- his premises.
Mr. -Pearson--I think I know where the point
pinches, and what I am about to say will most likely,
and •as is usually the case when ono proposes any-
thin ~' 'fair to all, be unsatisfactory to both parties.
Will Mr. Atkinson undertake that the filling of
the cans shall take place in the fire-proof room ?
That appears to me to be where the point pinches.
Mr. Atkinson—l am afraid that could not be
done without a light, and with a light you say
there is danger. . .
Mr. Pearson—But you might obviate that by
using a Davy's Safety lamp.
Mr. Smith.--My client wishes to carry on his
business as .a wholesale, and I cannot advise him to
give up his right to sell as he pleases.
The Lord Mayor—l think the suggestion made
by the City Solicitor is perfectly fair and reasonable.
Mr. Smith—We will try to fall in with it.
Mr. Pearson—Then, I will attend at the place
whenever Mr: Smith pleases, see what is intended
to be done, and report it to your lordship.
Mr. Smith—l shall be happy to meet you.
The Lord MaYor—lf you accede to the City So-
licitor's suggestion, never to fill any cans except in
the fire-proof room, and if you use a Davy's lamp,
then I think-You will have complied with all rea-
sonable precautions,
Mr. Pearson—Then, I will see what they do, and
report to your lordship on the subject; and mean-
while, I presume the matter will stand adjourned.
'Th►e Lord May-or—Yes, let it be so.
Mr. Atkinson—Yes, but it must be without pre-
judice to our rights if any of the inhabitants should
take steps to act for themselves.
Mr. Pearson—Of course, without prejudice on
either side.

The proceedings were then adjourned, and the
parties quitted the Court after thanking the Lord
Mayor for his courtesy.

G [Mann ALL.--FRIGHTFUL DEPRAVITY.—
Robert Underwood, a respectably dressed man,
about 37 year's of age, described as a chemist, re-
cently in the employ of Mr. Cayley, at 18, Smith-
field.:bars was brought up before Alderman Mechi,
and placed in the felon's dock, charged with having
violently assaulted a child, 12 years of age, of the
name of Mary Bolden, and with having ravished
and carnally known her against her will.
Mr. Wontner, of 18, Skinner-street, Snowhill,
is my duty to attend before you, sir, in a
prosecution which has been irltituted by the com-
mittee of the Fi reingdon Girls''School, and although
the inquiry may be attended with circumstances of
the most painful character, the committee have
thought it right to have the prisoner's conduct
thoroughly investigated. It unfortunately happens
that there are iwo girls with whom the prisoner
has been guilty of the grossest conduct, and that
they are both of them over the age which would
have rendered the offence one of felony. The pri-
soner therefore escapes the consequences of the
graver criminal charge, which he would otherwise
have had to answer, whether the children gave their
consent or not. I therefore propose to proceed un-
der a recent act of Parliament, which enables you
to deal summarily with persons guilty of aggra-
vated assaults upon women or children, The details
of the crse arc such that when you have heard them
I feel assured. you will say they are sufficient to
establish the fact that a moat aggravated assault has
been committed upon the complainant, and that the