The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-13 00:00:00

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- • - ' 74
-1,b,•1 :, . 'po:1 tl.!:t -: .:: . -,,,,;:igtE-4 pp,11,02,
,übjt c ; of the'finiediinen ts oppose. /to nail
li)f the working .classes,, by the comfte.Viticl so
7pttl,
speak, of the employer' . with the.schoelinaster, the
'very intelligible and: riot, unnatural 'rel u-e.! an ce of
Parents-in straitenedeircuniStances to lose the bene=
tit of their children'S Labour, which is of some value
ea-en at a terideiage.; The proposals brou'elif fc, .
ward with the view' of overcoming this 'difficulty;
by ;the. Canon himself, by Mr. GrantliaM Y6lice.,. ~,,, (1_
by others; and the ftill idvii;:i. s into the whole -
question, and the subjects :?Onnected with' it, may
be reasonably expected to produce important bene-
fit to the cause of education, and to afford addi-
ticinal prinofs of the, advantage of combined exer-
tions- for the attainment of objects which the com-
munity : ' large is often lunch more intereAted iu
than anxt, 44 about, or well-informed up ,n,, Tiiq
services which the labours of the association may
render to the legislature have been in PaPiog 07'
verted Ur. Some of our inquiries no doubt regard
subjects which do not fall within the province either
of thoSe who make or those who admirri-ter the
laws. Among others, some in which interference
would be .burtful, whether of government or of
Parliament, now, but where there cannot, and
where there should not, be such action, our labours
may be supplemental to the state. But when they
are only ancillary, wheu they and the' legislature,
by preparing measurPs, by exPhitring them, by
recommending them to the community, er it msy
be by stimulating the legislature to adept them ;
-far frem-any jealousy of our exertions being reason-
ably entertained, they are :eminently entitled, not
only to accep'ance but to favour.oalliticNo,
c .x
Nothing of
in theofpart y,
nothing of what is. tenne 1 p
good sense of the phrase, can enter into-the acne-
tut eof the functions of our body. , Whle men of
all opinions, and shades of opinion, are united in
the good which never can arouse any.feeling un7
friendly to the es. tablished order of things in this
free and happy country—whle .no disrespect will
ever be shown towards the very -different insiitu-
;tions of other countries—while the sound view is
taken that those institutions an ty .pi obably be
suited to their diversity of circumstances—while
the want of all institutional government 'in some
countries, and the exoess of popul-ir interference
in--other.z, may neither provoke our pity -nor our '
envy, persuaded as we all may be that our system
.proteeta us at once from military power, and from
the rifle of the iresponsible. multitude, which only
terminates the countless evils of its own peculiar dis-
position when it brings on the more ordinary domi-
nation of a single tyrant. ' The inestimable blessing
• of this security we owe to our well-bahnced consti-
tution ; And the change as it is elated by some, the re-
novation, by oth e rs, effected of late years has certain ly
been attended with ene consequence not to be over-
looked in our present deliberations. It cannot be
denied that the representation of so many places by
members of fiical influence has with Many most iin-
pertant advantages one material drawback. Local
. interests are well represented, they ought to be; for
any system would be most imperfect which made the
wants and the wishes of each place merge in those
of the whole community. But it is. undeniable
that, .with some distinguished exceptions, the
general result is, .the confining men's cares to their
immediate constituencies in dischargingtheir parlia-
mentary duties. In the theozrof the emstitution,
beyond all doubt, as in contemplation of law, they
represent the whole country, and are to consult its
interests. But practically, and in fact; they are tco
apt to regard themselves as representing the place
that returns them, and this unavoidably` leads to
confining their views Within narrow bounds. They
dO not devoteinuch of their attention to subjects of
a more genoral character—they doinot of themselves
either Andy measures of that catholic, escription,
or volunteer their exertions to carry such a policy
into effect, But some persons, and they form a
very considerable portion of our whole representa-
tives, as things are nova ordered; would be far from
shOwing any indisposition towards men whose la-
bours migl4.cast light upon such important sub-
jects, and point out both the wants of society in
these respects, and the . means of supplying their.
This help would assuredly be well received by all
well-intentioned representatives of the people, as
it would be honestly and frankly, but respectfully,
offered, acd the exertions of the associations which
we are now engaged in forming wil! be iuveluable
in this view. But hopes are cherished by many z -a-
loes friends of a progressive policy, that some im-
provement may be introduced into our. Parliamen-
tary, system which shall add to the repreiientative
body a class chosen by cors'Attrents of
,scientific and
literary acquireMents, and other persons of liberal
education. This plan has been. strongly recom-
mended by eminent men of all parties, including
those who have presided in the Commons (Lords
Eversley and Dunfermline). It my be justly ob-
servedthat the existence of such a class of members
would, to a certain degree, impair the forCe of the
argument grounded upon the prevalence °float' in-
fluence over the opinion and the conduct of our
-representatives, one of the main reasons in support
of the supposed improvement being its tendency to
give the Legislalure the aid of :counsels more tree

from the influence of local prejudice. But thebulk
of our representatiVeS would still be subject to that
influence, and it is unquestionable that even those
who are not biassed by the wishes of constituents
are under local influence, arising from another
source, from their connection with the place, by re-
sidence, birth, or profession. Such a bias is indeed
much less powerful than that given by the opinions
and feelings of those who have elected and'inay re-
move ; and yet to a certain degree it exists, and
cannot be counteracted. Hence we descry an addi-
tional ground for highly estimating the importance
of such inquiries as shall be undertaken by those
who are devoted to the promotion of social im-
provement in its main branches, and to the devising
and adoption of means to assist its progress. Nor
let the_ importance be lightly c ,nsidered of diffus-
ing among the various classes of the community the
knowledge of the subjects to which our inquiries
will be directed, and which, though all are alike in-
terested in them, yet are by no mean sufficiently
understood er estimated at their just value by the
bulk of mankind. The slowness with. which the

humbler. classes of our 1-Ilow-citizensimprove them-
selves in different branches of science ; and, indeed,
their reluctance to undeigo the labour of studying
them, has been often lamented, but without excit-
ing the least surprie in those who duly considered
the circumstances of the case. In the attempts that
have been made forso many years to overcome such
obstacles, an-. 1 effect tne more geneiil diffusion of
knowledge, the necessity has been too much over-
looked of beginning with the upper classe3 of so-
ciety. When these are well imbued with the taste
for acquiring knowledge they have a natural ten-
dency to make those iu other ranks patt.ike of the
same great benefits. It is not that the whole or
even the greater part of one class will become edu-
cated., but some will be inspired with the desire, not
more benevolent than wise, of bearing the torch to
the regions still without those lights which they
themselves enjoy. This is sound and useful in-
struct:on, propagated:by a sure and rational pro-
cess. Nor is it more certain that the various layers
of the great social structure are bound together by
the mighty clamp of justice administered to all and
binding on all, from the, broad basis of the people
upwards, through the middle classes and the aristo-
cracy to the Crown itself, or the narrow summit,
than it is certain that knowledge pervades the vast
pyramid bysuccessi velyembraci Lig an d disposing the
arches it is formed of. Knowledge thus diffused,
but especially knowledge of social interests, and
rights and duties, even more than the firm and
temperate distribution of justice itself, possesses
the great, the cardinal value of ensuring the sta-
bility of the social system. It is, to use the lan-
guage of the day, in the very greatest degree con-
servative, and in the highest sense of the phra.e.
But its diffusion has another and most happy ten-
dency ; it leads to the improvement'of the system,
because it inspires all classes with thedesire ofpro-
moting measures shown to be safe as well as effec-
tual—in a word, wholesome reforms. Nor can
anything-be more groundless than the fears of pro-
gress entertained by some—affected by mote. It
is, in truth, ignorance continued, not knowledge
advanced, which they have to tear—nay, which,
when we come to an explanation with them, they
really do fear. Knowledge is power ; but its na-
tural ally is the friendly power of virtue, with
which its dominion is willingly shared. This is
above all true of the knowledge which we shall
seek to
impart. The supreme disposer and pre-
server, who " decketh himself with light ati it were
a &went, but defendeth all the'earth as it were
with a shield," has provided that the false steps
into which we are led by the twilight will be pre-
vented or retraced when the day dawns. If any
one is still alarmed at the force which the people
seem to gain when their faculties are expanded by
cultivation, let them recollect that this happy
process cannot be -continued, and further
knowledge acquired, without a new security
being given by that very increase of knoew.. s
ledge against the delusions and the
exeessmost
from which the peace of the community hsubrect,
as
to fear. We are reminded by
the subject,
of
well as by the place wherewear e
happiest perhaps in
assembled,
the exquisite invention, tellho makes the power of
the history of steam, wb
steam provide by its expansion for its own control,
the one being nicely proportioned to
both power and safety—it
Knowledge is then _
exercises this self-con rol ;it gives to the mighty
coal engine loth the movemtnt and the governor—.
Unreasoned strength with perfect art combined,
Awes, serves, damages, and protects mankind."
Brniu Ts—niit safety alone that we expect ; we fondly
hope for more ; we confidently look higher. tral