The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-15 00:00:00

LECTURES TO THE WORKING CLASSES.

Mr. W. S. GOVER moved, that with a view to as-
sist and encourage adult self-education among Lon-
don working men, a series of useful lectures be de-
livered by eminent men, in the Guildhall, similar to
the series recently delivered to the working men of
Paris, under the auspicesof the Empress of the French,
by the most eminent Frenchmen, and that the neces-
sary arrangements be referred to the Library Com-
mittee to carry out. This was an experiment, he
said, which could be carried out at a very small
cost, and in a very simple form ; and he believed,
if the working classes were educated in this way
on general topics of usefulness, the difference of
feeling which existed between them and the higher
classes of society would soon be done away with.
Lectures might be delivered in the months of No-
vember and December by men of eminence, and
they could then ascertain whether the working
classes would appreciate them, and what results

would follow. He had no doubt the experiment
would be attended with very great success, and
that if the example were once set it would be
largely followed in other parts of the country.

Mr. DRESSER ROGERS seconded the resolution.

Mr. BEDFORD said the machinery was already at
hand, if they chose to adapt it to the object in
view. There was such an institution as the
Gresham College, with a fine lecture-hall and plenty
of funds; but he was sorry to say those funds were
shamefully wasted. Instead of giving popular lec-
tures, discourses were given on physics and geometry
in Latin, and he could imagine no greater bore than
listening to them. He begged to move as an
amendment, "That in the opinion of the Court it
is desirable that some plan should be devised to
render the lectures at Gresham College more useful
and more adapted to the wants and wishes of the
present generation, and that a copy of this resolu-
tion be transmitted to the Gresham Cotnmitte2."

Mr. CRESCENS ROBINSON, as a member of the com-
mittee, said this matter had been frequently brought
under notice, but there was a determined opposi-
tion to any change.
Dr. SAUNDERS observed that the Gresham Lec-
tures were well attended at present.
After some discussion on the subject, Mr. Bed-
ford's amendment was adopted, and the Court there-
after adjourned.
Among the notices on the paper which were not
reached was the following motion by Mr. Alderman
COTTON :—" That the freedom of this city, with a
sword of the value of two hundred guineas, be pre-
sented to Major-General Sir Robert Napier, G.C.8.,
G.C.S.L, Commander of the Forces in Bombay, in
admiration of the fortitude, skill, science, energy,
and promptitude displayed by him in bringing the
Abyssinian war to so successful and brilliant a
close."

NA VAL AND MILITARY IN? ELLIGENCE.

The chartered troopship True Briton arrived at
Gravesend on Wednesday from Melbourne, having
on board detachments of time-expired men and in-
valid troops belonging to the Royal Artillery, I,t
Battalion of the'l2th Regiment, 2d Battalion of the
14th Regiment, and the 50th Queen's Own Regi-
ment, with a number of soldiers' wives and children,
the whole under the command of Ensign 11. R. Wor-
thington, and in medical charge of Mr. Vaughan
Carnley, surgeon. The True Briton sailed from
Melbourne on the 27th of January, and experienced
generally favourable weather during the voyage.
Only one death occurred on board among the troops
—that of Sergeant Corrigan, 50th Regiment, who
died shortly after the sbip arrived in the Channel.
The troops were disembarked under the direction
of the officers of the Staff at Chatham, and for-
warded to their respective depots at Chatham,
Maidstone, and the other military stations.
The Cadmus, screw (unarmoured wooden) cor-
yetie''-,:gl guns, 1,466 tons, 400-horse power, Capt.
'Alex. C. Gordon, arrived at Spithead on Wednes-
day morning from Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she
had been relieved as senior officer's ship by the
Sphinx, Capt. Richard Vesey. She sailed from
Halifax on the 25th of April, and experienced a
very heavy westerly gale during her run across the
Atlantic. Lieutenant Green, of the 61st. Light
Infantry, came home as passenger in the ship
from Ilalifax, and a number of invalided seamen
and marines from the ships forming the English
squadrons under the command of Sir George
Rodney Mundy also came home in the ship as
supernumeraries. In addition to her Majesty's
ship Sphinx there lay at Halifax, on the date of the
Cadmus's sailing, the United States armoured turret
ship Onondaga, Capt. Deverenne. Vice-Admiral Sir
G. R. Mundy, in her Majesty's ship Royal Alfred,
was expected to arrive at Halifax about the date of
the Queen's birthday. On the 9th inst. the Cad-
mus passed at sea the Nameless, of Jersey. The
seamen and marines were disembarked from the
Cadmus soon after her arrival at Spithead yester-
day by the Sprightly, steam tender, and about 4
p.m. the corvette left, Spithead again under steam,
for Sheerness, where she is ordered to be dismantled
and paid out of commission. She was commissioned
for service in the West Indies in December, 1864.
Captain A. C. Gordon has commanded her for
nearly two years, his appointment bearing date
June, 1866.

The name of the captain of her Majesty's ship
Nimble, whose arrival from Bermuda was an-
nounced on Wednesday, is Chatfield, not Churchill.
The 12th company of Royal Engineers, under
the command of Captain J. M. IL Maitland, has
been placed under orders to proceed from head-
quarters, at Chatham, to Cuxton, where they
are to be employed during the summer months

in the formation of a new "hard" on the banks of
the Medway, to be used for pontooniug practice by
the officers and men of the Royal Engineers instead
of the present pontoon "hard" in Chatham har-
bour, near .Uptior Castle. During the time the
Royal Engineers are engaged in the undertaking
they will be encamped on the banks of the Med-
way.

The 17th and 21st brigades of the Royal Artil-

lery, and the Commissariat Staff corps doing duty
in the garrison at Woolwich, underwent a minute
inspection on Wednesday morning by the comman-
dant of the garrison, Major General E. C. Warde,
C. B.

The sth Dragoon Guards are held in readiness to
march from Colchester to Aldershott as follows :
Three troops on the 19th instant, a similar number
on the 20th instant, and two troops and the head-
quarters on the 21st instant. The date of the re-
moval of the dismounted party by railway has not
yet been fixed. The 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon
Guards, from Shorncliffe, will relieve the sth Dra-
goon Guards at Colchester. Lieut. Theobald, 84th
Regiment, is, under orders from the horse Guards,
held in readiness to proceed to Jamaica to join the
service companies of the regiment. Ensign Main-
waring, Ist Battalion 16th Regiment, is under
orders to proceed to Canada with the draught of his
corps.
Vice-Admiral James John Stopford died on the
12th inst., after a lingering illness. He was the
son of the late Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stop-
ford, G.C.8., and brother of Vice-Admiral Robert
Fanshawe Stopford. He entered the navy in 1829,
obtained his first commission in October, 1837, and
served for some time as Flag Lieut. to his father,
Sir Robert Stopford, when Commander-in-Chief in
the Mediterranean. He was advanced to the rank
of a Commander in February, 1810, and made
Captain in May, 1841, Rear-Admiral June 4, 1861,
Vice-Admiral April 2, 1866, and has since been
placed on the retired list.