New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-20
Aetu'llork Daily gribn11e.
MECHANICS INSTITUTES.

About the year 1928 the English people began TO De
aware that while the nation progressing IL mechanical
skill and manufacturing industry, no corresponding adj
vance had been being made in the Intellectual
training Of the people To remedy hs great defect gen
era movement was made 10 establish literary and scientific
institutions for the working classes. This movement Was
however not without It's opposers and ex Chief hlss
rate Of Glasgow went far to assert that science and
"lesYning If universally dius would speedily overthrow
4" tie best constituted government on earth
In those times there che ,p and substantial liter
sure sccnce met,d out 90 the people by come trav
cling lecturer who would occasionally exhibit model OF
steam engine burn phosphorus in oxygen give shocks
from galvanc battery, and afford to his wondering
audience topics for many days discussion. Tho
plsces and means for intellectual recreation improve
ment were very fov, if any At all there were 6ut Re"
steamboats, railways and the postage Of letters
high rs to prevent oennes necessary correspon
dence The resourc which the aborng classes could
and in the majority OF instances dd-resor we're political
clubs and .iads combinations These generally held at
seine public house which the members required 10
spend the price qsart OF beer for the good o
the house" Til. stcn however, almost invariably
exceeded ami after spending the evening in rreas the
brawlng drunkSd tsrn ed out OF doors AZ midnight by
the landlord and he not taken to the watch house
by the odsshonod guardians of night ho staggered
home 10 abuse his desoaio wife.
The Audersonian University hal existed in Glasgow
Mechsnics csss, where Or BRkHEck. "ior three sue
"cessve seasons had the qualification OF lcciurng 10 600
mechanics on scientific subjects connected with ihesr
occupations This continued by .ho successors Of that
gentleman for about eighteen years Until the mechanics
determined establishing, for themselves, an inlepen
dent institution Let Us build said they An altar TO
science let us raise a ladder 10 those heavens where
BorLr and NEwroS ard FEASELIS sit sArouded and
shrised ia the halo of philosophical glory This altar
to science erected in 1921, and still exists in Han
overst. Glasgow with many dsyont and worthy
Slippers as ever IL Ednburgh. the same year Mr. Laos
AID HoHsLE and ether gentlemen were instrumental in
establishing the School OF Arts The objects Of these
two Institutions 10 give scientific instruction 70 tn
working classes by Of lectures library AMI col
kotcn Of models and apparatus
The example Of the Glasgow snd Edinburgh mechsn
les was followed by the establishment OF the L'nios Ne
ohsuios Institution. This Institution originated from
meeting held al the Crown and Anchor Tavern. AZ wch
DR. BnNkce presided The speeches were short aai to
the purpose Among those present were lawyers and
printers members CT Prlsment aAd painters barr.ters
and blacksmiths lone Of whom maze speech in which
he described himself An unlesred son Of Vulcan, Just
'emergtd from the smoke of forge Letters regreting
inability be present and approving the objects = the
meeting we're received sn Henry NOV Lori Broughaln
irclosiD- -. rom Dir Jeremy Benih2m David W.kis
L A. and other distns uished and learned This II
sttuon started on is career with 20os enthusiastic
chanic members the good wishes % NEIL whose names
now identified with their counry history the approval OF
the pres ana acurishins exchequer and It started
has il gone Oh With slight variation, 10 the present time
Thgs was the ball motion IL every large provincial
town il Great Britain similar Institutions sqrang Into eNis
ence and in course Of time in the smaller iowns As' Tie
LONDON Institution was to great extent FOUNDED Oh ias
ode Of those in Edinburgh AMI Glasgow and in'se -
the provincial towns or less copies OF thai ~
london There are in England alone 900 II these In
stutons containing half nioa Of volumes II their D.
braIies 10 fourteen Of the Norttern A- Midland C'-n
ties Isl Irstiutors 576g members, .nt -l'7- ID
unes max ING syerge of one Institution ID -ii nsa-
btrs, with library Of 1887 volumes.
@r BEovmN said -The success of these destinations
w be- in exact proportion @ The iater-s, w'b the ne
clencs themselves tkb ID their d-,ls 10 Is Tor nsr
b,nsft and ought 70 D. l-f as much possible m Their
"owo hands M CosaETr oppressed opinions sn'i'r to
those Of Mr. BrOu. ham, ana III the reports sad statistics