The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-02 00:00:00

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LONDOY, FRD)AY, NOV. 2, 1866.

Sir RO UN:DELL PALMER laid the foundation-stone
of new school buildings, in Islington, on Wednes-
day. The site is in a very populous district, where
the want of such an establishment was greatly felt
for some time. More than six hundred can be
accommodated according to the present arrange-
ment, which, it is needless to say, will be a very
great advantage. It is satisfactory to find that the
large sum required for the erection of these build-
ings has been collected, with the exception of
£BOO, which, we doubt not, will soon be forth-
coming. The ceremony of laying the founda-
tion-stone was performed by Sir liv. PALMER, who
then addressed the assembly. His remarks
were interesting and instructive, and he seemed
fully impressed with theimportance of the work be-
fore them, in which he appropriately observed that
it was a privilege to take part. His observations
upon the great benefits and blessings of knowledge
and instruction are well worthy of note to all classes.
The higher one should consider the immense respon-
sibilities Which devolve upon them in the way of
encouraging and
assisting the efforts now being
made in all directionsamongthe middle
to diffuse learning and good
teaching
middle and lower classes.
These, in their turn,
well be interested to
dwell upon the adrin may
tli7, csnset before them and
their children under
t
As Sir R. PALMER. truly said, e,W, order of things.
education is the way
to all those things which make men good and enable
them to rise in the world. In this country there
is no station under the Throne which is not
fatly open to, and attainable by, any one—any(lpe-
rvirtuous and industrious man, to whom .
has
given good ability, and who has received a sound
education. 'The children to be educated at these
schools have before them the means of attaining
these advantagas if nature has fitted them for it,
and if they have the zeal and perseverance requisite
for the purpose. Notable examples are not wanting
of those who have achieved considerable success
from very humble beginnings ; and such may
serve to incite those who hare any ambition, to

arouse to do their utmost to rise to the height that'
is their due."
Sir It. PALMER did well and wisely in urging
upon the children who would be instructed in these
schools to make the best use they could of their
advantage, and to profit by these precious oppor-
tunities, " which, if let slip in early youth, would
never come again ; which, if neglected now, they
would learn by bitter experience afterwards what
they had lost, and what, if rightly used, there was
nothing in the world that was not open before
them." No better advice can be given to the young
than thus to urge upon them the importance of im-
proving themselves, and the very fact of their being
under restraint tends to bring them up as rational
members of society, and wiser and happier in them-
selves, from knowing bow to control their own pas-
sions and curb their own desires. Of course all
have not the same power of advancing themselves,
and some cannot possibly attain to any exalted de-
gree of excellence, but much may be gained by
most mediocre, and, as is truly said in this discourse,
they would become " good and happy citizens,
happy men and women, and fitted to enter here-
after into the more perfect state of a blessed immor-
tality."
Subsequently Sir R. PALMER made another speech
in proposing " Success to the Cause of Education,
and Prosperity to St. Thomas's Schools." He
touched upon the theme in an earnest and eloquent
manner, and many will agree with him in his opinion,
that of the many ways we have of doing good in our
day and generation, the ene most effectual in its
" great, unquestionable, and lasting" character, is
promoting education. He was against separating
religious and secular education, " as if one kind of
useful knowledge was of the earth, earthy, another
kind was of heaven, heavenly." This is true in a great
measure, because if religion is left out of a child's
teaching hours the great chance is that he is never
instructed at all, or at best very superficially, in
those things which are paramount in importance and
interest. As was correctly said, all good instruc-
tion must be based upon those "principles" for the
teaching of which religion had been established by
GOD among men. Religion cannot be set apart in
the teaching of the young, but should imbue
all things ; and an apt illustration is thus
given, " Their religious duty was to do their
common work in their daily vocation, whatever it
might be, as well as they could ; religion embraced
every part of life, and those things which men called
secular were as necessary for the due discharge of
their religious duties as those which were called
essentially religious." Education that includes re-
ligion is, indeed, the best safeguard that the friends
of the young can bestow upon them, and though
we can never hope to see evil eradicated from among
men, it will train them, so far as human means can,

to be in the world, and yet not of it.
Sir R. PALMER dwelt upon the fact that
those who had to conduct Reformatories spoke
confidently of the success which in a great measure
had attended their efforts in putting aside the in-
fluence of " moral evil, and by encouraging
healthy habits of energy." On the whole we may
consider that these remarks of Sir R. PALMER are
well calculated to serve the cause he has so much
at heart, and to incline all who can aid in the good
work of instruction to do their utmost, while they
encourage the others to rise above the sphere in
which they were born ; and, at any rate, if they
remain in it all their lives, to be elevated in their
class, and worthy citizens in the sight of GOD and

man.

The close of the Lord Mayor's year of office
happily finds him in recovered health and able to
take leave of the members of the Common Council

in person. A special meeting was yesterday con-
vened at Guildhall, which was largely attended,
from the belief that his lordship would on that oc-
casion preside for the last time. After transacting

some routine business, the Lord Mayor in a brief
address thanked the Court for the kindness and en-
couragement which he had always received from its
members in the fulfilment of his onerous duties.
The manner in which he has discharged those duties
has called forth general approbation. In connec-
tion with the charitable institutions of the City the
Lord Mayor has stood prominently forward, and
the distress occasioned by the visitation of cholera

proved him to be a sincere and painstaking friend

to the industrial classes. In his presidency of the
relief committee he displayed good sense and discre-
tion, as well as benevolent zeal for the amelioration

of the distress, and was mainly instrumental in lay

:ng down those broad and enlightened principles o:

action which contributed so powerfully to the sue

cess of their efforts. In all matters relating to edu

cation too the Lord Mayor has been actively en.

gaged, and the recent movement on behal:

of middle-elasss chools has given him an opportunity

of favouring the establishment of those very useful
institutions. It will be remembered that ill an ad-
dress delivered by the Lord Mayor in connection
with one of these middle-class schools he referred
to his own humble origin, and held out the proud
position which he then occupied as an incentive and
an encouragement to the boys around him. The
old legend of DICK WHITTINGTON is happily no
fable in these days, for it is possible by talent,
perseverance, and steadiness of character to
rise from the lowest to the highest rank in
any trade or profession. Not a few of our eminent
men can point with justifiable pride to the contrast
between the position from which they started in life
and that which by their own exertions they now
occupy. If more of our youths and lads would
enter on their careers with the determination
to succeed, we should have a still longer list of
names which are the proudest boast of a country
and the best guarantee of her future, because they
show what is the national vigour and character of
her people, who do not require adventitious aids to
Mayor, in addressing the Common
on
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atribute
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to the public services
Council, took the oppreonrdtuenreitdyboyf
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the City of London. "We represent here an old and
valued institution—an institution to be dearly prized,
it stands aloof from all political parties, and
not because it is the parent of municipalities, but be-
cause
the liberty and independence of the people. In
in every act and deed proclaims the maintenance of
this aspect the Corporation of the City possesses
most important characteristics, since it exercises a
sensible influence on the politics of the d,ly, , and
constitutes one of those independent bodies which
form so useful a check on the centralising tendency
of all governments. The City Corporation has come
in for a good deal of criticism, censure, and ridicule
of late years, but its members need not complain.
Such scrutiny is very beneficial occasionally, and we
cannot always trust our friends to spy out our weak
places, so that our enemies or depreciators do us
good service when they make the discovery for us,
even though they may not proclaim it in the most
welcome manner. The Corporation of the City is
strong enough to bear a good deal cf abuse, and
it is respected and cherished by Englishmen gene-
rally as a representative and bulwark of those prin-