The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-06 00:00:00

LONDON, 7HURSDAY, FEB. 6, 1868.

Mr. BRIGHT has again been speaking at Bir-
mingham, and this time with more propriety than
before. Yesterday morning the members of the
borough were present at a breakfast given by the
Chairman of the Birmingham Chamber of Com-
merce to those artisans who visited the Paris Exhi-
bition in connection with the Society of Arts. An
interesting affair it was altogether, and the sub-
ject in question deserves especial importance just
now, when so many different schemes and plans
are concocted for the improvement of those who
were represented in France during last season.
The IMayor made some suitable remarks, in the
course of which he said very truly that they had
again seen Mr. IV RIGHT the Chairman of the Cham-
ber of Commerce, made reference to the report upon
the Exhibition, and assured his hearers that a great
deal,of the prejudice which existed among the
people regarding the industry of other nations had
been done away with by its appearance. Some
useful lessons were learned by a more intimate ac-
quaintance with these matters. Continental artisans
do not get such high wages as our men, but then
they spend their wages far more rationally than is
observable among ourselves. Also it is
seen that there are more " artistic elements" in
foreign labour, and in fact that there was
was no danger like the unconsciousness of danger,
and that in reality there was no need to feel regret
at the vast strides the artisans of other countries
had made in the way of progress, because it might
act as a stimulus to our countrymen to pursue their
course with increased energy, and to make re-
doubled efforts in the path of progress and excel-
lence. As for the great depression which unhappily
has prevailed in a remarkable degree, Mr. AVERY
said that he looked upon that with no alarm, as he
regarded it as the natural consequence of the
" excessive and inflated speculation" the last few
years, and was undeniably a powerful incentive to urge
our countrymen on, and to show them that they are
not the manufacturers for the whole world. Among
other suggestions -which were made Mr. limns put
forth the importance of technical education, which
alone can serve to extricate the English workman
from his present somewhat invidious position. ➢lr.
BRIGHT spoke out very sensibly on this subject,
although he prefaced his observations by declaring
they had entrapped him, and that he felt like the
Conservatives who were dragged on at a
rate which bewildered them. Mr. BRIGHT
was able to show that some of his pre-
dictions on this subject have already been
verified, for he said years ago that any compre-
hensive measure for the extension of the franchise
would necessitate a general system of instruction,
and already, before the bill of last Session has
come into operation, we behold a " general rush
into a new field of labour, and au excitement
greater than has existed upon this subject in any
previous time within our memory."

Mr. BRIGHT, however, does not hold to the
theory that we are to trust to the Government
in this important matter, and thinks that those who
seek to doso are falling into a great mistake. All that
the Government ought to do, he considers, is to
provide for the instruction of that class which has
been neglected in previous times, and which does
yet possess the actual means, and often lacks the
requisite desire, to educate the children belonging
to it. This is true courage, and there is no earthly
reason why much should be done, or indeed any-
thing, for those who are so much able as the middle
classes are to help themselves. " With respect to
technical education," Mr. BRIGHT believes that
some children will always be superior to others, and
hence what is called Training is not of the
usual account, as some suppose. He grounded this
assertion on the fact that in the United States such
a thing was unknown, and yet the Americans have
been surpassed by no nation in progress of every
kind. He attributes their surprising success which
has enabled them in forty years to give the world
more valuable information than all Europe put to-
gether to the fact that in the United States " there
is no class which is not sufficiently educated to be
able to read and to comprehend and to think ;
and that, I maintain, is the foundation of all
subsequent progress." We know that Mr.
BRIGHT does not look upon all social
institutions with a very favourable eye, and he con-
siders that the extremes of rich and poor among us
are in a great measure the cause of our being be-
hind the Americans in many things. The rich have
no incentive to make great exertions, and the poor
have no inducement, because they are ignorant ;
Whereas in the United States there is more equality,
and there is a great reservoir of human intellect,
power, and endeavour. It would not suit the people
of this country to follow out all the transat-
lantic theories, but there i 3 no reason what-
ever why they should not imitate those
practices which time and experience have shown
to work well and advantageously.
The advice here tendered is sound so far as it
goe& Mr. BRIGHT declares that if we were to establish
throughout the country a system of primary edu-
cation, and " give to the people the power to read
and to think, that we should have a broad and
great foundation, from which would arise almost
all else that we want." So simple a remedy is cer-

tainly deserving of being tried, and it will be a great
shame if it is not made after the various appeals
that have been made in all directions and by men
of all shades of opinion and division of politics con-
cerning it. Still it may be said that distinct and
special education is not to be neglected, for it may
enable its possessors to attain to heights of excel-
lence that else they could never effect. The notion
of establishing museums in Birmingham and other
great towns is a very good one, and Mr. BRIGHT
very properly urges it as a desirable one, and
wishes that some of our interested men would lend
their aid to supply this deficiency. We agree with
the hon. member for Birmingham that it is
monstrous to say that a town like that should go
to the Government because it has not public spirit
enough to act for itself. We are glad to see that
Mr. BRIGHT is against a compulsory and forced
attendance at school, which would tend, as he says
very truly, to " produce a reactionary kind of feel-
ing among the people that would defeat the very
purpose we have at heart." Some of . the remarks
made here by Mr. BraGirr will disappoint
the more eager and ardent devotees for im-
provement, but what he facetiously calls his
" slow and conservative ideas" are the safer
ones, and more likely in the end to pro-
duce satisfactory results. Those who are takinc,
the most pains in the matter are very apt to forget
that those who are now ignorant must not be
hurried and driven, but induced by slow degrees
and with patient effort to realise great and compre-
hensive changes ; and, as Mr. BRIGIIT says, it
will not do to bring too much weight to bear
on the people, or they will infallibly re-
fuse that support and co-operation so neces-
sary to insure success in this important under-
taking. Altogether we can confidently declare that
this speech of Mr. BRIGHT'S on the great question
of the day, the education of the people, may be
read with pleasure and profit, for it is initiated by
the right spirit, and is in no wise extravagant or
ill judged.

More exciting and anxious topics have of late
engrossed public attention, and constitutional asso-
ciations and provincial meetings have been little
heeded. At the same time there were some features
in the meeting of the Maidstone Constitutional
Association which distinguish it from the generality
of such assamblies. The inaugural meeting of the
association was held on Tuesday evening at the
Corn Exchange, Maidstone, so that it cannot boast
of much antiquity as yet ; but it was chiefly no-
ticeable as being largely attended by working
men, who listened to the speeches and
cheered their favourite sentiments with
great good will, and remarkable unanimity. The
speeches were Conservative in tone, and the
borough, as matters at present stand, is represented
in Parliament by two staunch Liberals, so that it
was to the credit of both parties that there should
be no disturbance, nor even difference, among the
crowds who filled the hall. It is an encouraging
sign of the times that our working men are showing
more interest in meetings and associations of this
kicd to -whatever party they belong. Their
influence cannot fail to be beneficial and
elevating to them. Men who have been
long in Parliament, who have mixed much
in politics, and studied the affairs of foreign nations,
take a very different and more enlarged view of
things than those who write and speak specially to
working men. The latter have been too much in
the habit of addressing themselves to the precon-
ceived notions of the classes they are dealing with,
of humouring their prejudices, of flattering their
vanity, of trading upon their class jealousies and
antagonisms. We have no doubt that the work-
ing men who visited the Paris Exhibition learned
from that visit more wholesome truths than they
would have listened to at home during many a long
theirsynipoafthkienso, walneddgeenwaholueldthlide
evmton therdaanyg.eoAn increase
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keep l unitingup the
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secure for their country the majority of orders,
there has existed among our men and
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which no house can long stand. In the
mutual jealousies of class at home, the far more
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The best cure for the prejudice and narrow views
which have had a good deal to do with the mischief
is to enlarge the minds of- our working men by a
little more intercourse out of their own immediate
which would teach them the tolerance gained
perceiving that every large question has many
sides,
respecting which honest men may justly and
reasonably differ.

The speeches at Maidstone were fair and reason-
able enough. Lord lIOL3IESDALE, M.P., was in
the chair, and the principal speakers were Dr.
MONCKTON, Mr. DYKE, M.P., and Mr. RAIKES.
These gentlemen took a hopeful view of the politi-
cal situation, and rejoiced greatly over the events
of the last session. In criticising the careers of the
most prominent political leaders, one or two
speakers referred with satisfaction to the recollec-
tion that it was Maidstone which first sent
Mr. DISRAELI into Parliament. The Li-
berals were blamed for their long neglect
of Reform, and their determination to keep the
question as a political pressure of their own. It
was admitted, however, in several quarters that
much depended on the course which the moderate
Liberals might adopt in the future. If they iden-
tified themselves with the extreme members of their
party, who looked for nothing else than a total
subversion of our institutions, great mischief would
result, whereas if they followed a more moderate
and constitutional policy their influence must be
beneficial. While speaking on this subject, Mr.
RAIKES very sensibly observed that the new consti-
tuents should never forget that it was the poor who
were above all other classes interested in the pre-
servation of order. The recent outrages and
attempts at anarchy in Loudon had not, he
said, taken a shilling out of the pockets
of any landlord ; but who could say how
many thousands of working men they had been the
indirect means of throwing out of work ? The
new constituencies must not, he reminded them,
overlook the importance of patience and caution,
and must not believe that hasty legislation, how-
ever excellent, would set everything right in a day.
The advice was taken in good part, and the pro-
ceedings came to an end, after a very satisfactory

evening.

The Atlantic Telegraph informs us that the New
York papers of the 4th instant contain a report of
the resignation of Mr. ADA3IS. As yet there is no
official confirmation of it, so we may reserve our
judgment, but the statement is not in itself im-
probable. Mr. ADAMS may well be weary of
his laborious and responsible duties, and may