The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-14 00:00:00

e a their influence tended to give them

which ra

political power, for—
" Past experience tells on every soil
That he who thinks most governs those who toil."
(Cheers.) And when he said " governs," he did
not allude to the upper classes or to the middle
classes only, for all those persons who were given
to thought and reflection were those who governed
factory to find that the issue of books from e rary
the persons who merely toiled. (Cheers.) It
thwaribsatis-
was increasing year by year, but it was still more
satisfactory to know that the books issued were be-
coming year by year of a superior sort, indicating
improved
taste improved state of mind and a more
taste on the part- of the, readers. (Hear, hear.) He
had ever been in favour of -a large proportion of
working men being on the committee of manage-
ment of these institutions, and. he thought that
reading-rooms and the like in connexion with
mechanics' institutions should be entirely managed
;;-e• working men. The opportunity and the habit
of re7.mling in the even;ngs preserved them from
slumber:qg after their day's labour, or from drink-
their time, their money, and
in-, and eaee,ed them
their health.
(e,ecors.) Time was the money of the
as the proverb was, " Take
working man ; ant.,
Rings and the pounds
so, as to the work-
care of the pence and te'e shi
will take care of themselveZ:"
it might
ing man's currency, which was
be said, " Take care of the miCites and the
hours will take care of themselves:l (Cheers.)
The noble lord then stated that, after 'she
Mechanics' Institution prizes had been a warcid,
-those given by Mr. Cassell would be distri-
buted to the successful competitors for the prize
essays. It was gratifying to him to say that, as
one of the judges, having looked through the essays
forwarded—nine-tenths of them written by work-
ing men—though in some of them the grammar,
and in others the spelling and handwriting, were
rather indifferent, yet that the whole contained an
amount of ability and information that was highly
creditable, while many
we: e highly distinguished
for talent and information. (Cheers.)
The prizes were then awarded, several of those
given by Mr. Cassell having been
games by women,
the wives or daughters of working .
Mr. CASSELL having explained the circumstances
under which the prizes were offered,
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY rose, and was loudly
cheered. If he looked at Mechanics' Institutions
(observed his lordship, after a few preliminary re-
marks) as great systems of education, as great
subsidiary means for carrying on the edu-
cation acquired in early life, and as a
great mode of civilising the masses of the
population,—enabling them to retain what
they had acquired—enabling them to add to
their stores of knowledge—then they had before
them a subject on which any one who felt the least
interest in the welfare of his countrymen might
descant for many hours together. He would spare
them that, however, and only make one observa-
tion on the prizes last distributed. He had the
honour of being one of the adjudicators, and he
must repeat and confirm the statement of Lord
Brougham, that all the essays submitted to his in-
spection were marked by sound morality, sterling
common sense, and an earnestness that was grate-
ful to his heart ; and, although it was perfectly
true-that the .composition was sometimes fitielty,
the writing sometimes not easily legible, and the
spelling of a new order of orthography—(laughter)
—nevertheless he felt he might use the compliment
paid to-a philosopher of old, with a slight altera-
tion, and say, that he would rather spell ill with
the vast majority of those men than spell well
with thousands and tens of thousands whom he
knew in states of • life very far- above them.
(Cheers.) After all, they had the staple, they
had the sound heart and true morality, and
they only required an occasional visit to the Me-
chanics' Institution to obtain good writing and
gOod spelling. (Cheers.) The only complaint he
now
_heard of those institutions was that they did
not precisely answer the purpose for which they
were originally intended, and that they did not
educate and train the class for which they were
founded. This might be true of other counties in
England, but it was not so of Yorkshire. (Hear.)
And of this he was quite sure, that although the
system had failed as to the particular class for
which it was first intended, it had not failed alto-
gether, for thousands, and many thousands, were.
enjoying its benefits. (Applause.) Lct them re-
joice that these associations had been instituted, for
by degrees they would be extended so as to embrace
the class for which they were originally intended.
(Hear, hear.) His Lordship then mentioned the
importance of better buildings being provided for
these institutions, which he considered ought to
have a status and position in the eye of the people,
and possess a bu ildin g which the working man might
call his own. This he considered, moreover, of
much importance,.because they must regard Me-
chanics' Institutions as the great means of counter-
attraction to the various temptations of vice and
licentiousness which would be found among large
populations. Lord Brougham was perfectly correct
in saying that these institutions, if properly used,
would be a great antidote to the gin-palace and the
beershop, and he trusted, -therefore that there
would be no longer delay than was absolutely ne-
cessary in establishing amidst large populations
buildings suited to the purpose, where everything
that could he required—the lending library, the
reading-room, the coffee club, and everything which
could give dignity, comfort, and solace to the work-
ing man after the period:of his toil, might be ob-
tained. He trusted that the working men would not
be satisfied on all occasions merely with going. to the
reading-room, and there passing an hour in conver-
sation and the pursuits of literature, but that they
would take home choice works to read to their wives
and children, and thus enlighten, cheer, and he
might say sanctify, tho domestic hearth, by
acting the patriarchal part, and affording a
constant exemplification of that beautiful picture
of Burns's " Saturday Night." (Loud cheers.)
His lordship condemned most earnestlythe reading
of the trashy novels which were issued in such pro-
'fusion almost every day, and he continued by re-
marking that Mechanics' Institutions were .not
only grand supplements of the early closing-move-
ment, which had already begun to pervade all the
towns of the empire—and God be praised for the
success it had enjoyed—hut would prevent that
movement being perverted. To prevent its being
converted into affording an opportunity to go to
receptacles of- vice, and folly, and peril, they must
have Mechaniee' Institutions, and many other in-
stitutions of that description, which would profitably
occupy the working man—withdraw him from
temptation. (Applause.) He, therefore, rejoiced
much to see the thriving condition of that associa-
tion, particularly as it was situate in a manufac-
turing district, because, since the consummation of
that great measure which had given so much leisure
time to the operatives in those districts, it had be-
come necessary that they. should have such oppor-
tunities as were thus provided, lest they should be
drawn into those abuses of time which they were
formerly told would be the necessary result of giv-
ing the people more leisure. (Hear.) He believed,
however, they would find that these-leisure hours
were devoted to the most profitable. uses, and that
men who had acquired a good and sound education
in early life would now, after, the hours of toil,
carry on that education so long as health and
strength should endure. (Cheers.) There was no
reason at all why labour should not be consistent
with literature and knowledge, and knowledge and
literature consistent with labour. (Hear, hear.)
That which kept the body in a healthy and vigo-
rous ,state also kept the mind in a healthy and vigo-
rous state; and When a man had once, by large
practice, acquined the habit of doing his work re-
gularly and systematically, he might often relieve
the monotony of one class of duty by the mind
dwelling on something which had perhaps been
the subject of the previous night's study, and might
thus pursue and carry to completion some object of
hi. 4 mind at the same time that he was toiling in
the ordinary labour of the day. (Hear, hear.) He
believed Ciey would live to see, under the blessing
-of Almighty God, the working classes brought to
that moral and physical Condition the longed for,
for he assumed they had sense enough to know that
the security of this empire consisted in the good
condition, bodily, mentally, morally, and spiel-
tually, of all the people. (Cheers.j With these
views they must all heartily labour and pray for
the extension of that and all similar institutions,
and in the language of Scripture earnestly desire
" that they will spread their breeches into the sea
and their boughs into the rivers" (Loud cheers.)
his lordship concluded by moving the following
resolution :
" That this meeting desires to expressaina
ts sympathy with
the peat work of popular education, a
asrecognisesan
nearnest of th
progress which has already been mad
still farther success."
Mr. M. D. HILL seconded the resolution, which
was carried.
Mr. J. N.seier. moved " that the mecting re-
garded with the deepest satisfaction t. ie efforts of
rncehai:ics' iustitutions and of every kindred so-
ciety," which was also carried.
Mr. E. Beiees shortly addressed the meeting,
which separated at 10 o'clock.
tinmenuese
tohei.gClovearsetgE:en.n.E.
on a
While theClL t.
above
conver-
sational meeting. of delegates from the Chambers of
Commerce and other similar bodies was held in the
saloon of the hall, Mr. Ripley, banker,
rioin the chair.
iAngcoonfvceih•saamt conversation
Chambers
of
ilc place oenteh,e and stand-
ing the best mode
of increasing their influence. Some of the dele-
gates
expressed an opinion in favour of their being
incorporated by charters from Government, and it
was suggested that they should in some way or
other be recognised by Act of Parliament as bodies
to be consulted by Government on commercial clues-