, 1874-03-01
PROFESSORS And PR0LETAEIAT.
The London Sunday-Lecture
Society.
The Best of Lectures at a Penny
Per Hour.

In tho fall Of 1869, . few men met in London,
and resolved to organize d society to deliver
lectures on Sunday afterno oons. Circulars were
issued, and q meeting MAS appointed for the
25ti1 Of November. At that meeting, which waa
prcssdea over by Prof. Huxley, Alr. ". Henry
Domyil'e reported tha. 15G pcraons Lad siGniie1
their wish to become members Of such society.
The following resolutions were then unsni-
mously passed:
RESOLUTIONS.
fTho S1nay-Le>rre Society," 10 provide fo1 the de-
livery 6uidaya in tue Meropolis and to encourage
the delivery elsewhere, Of lectures on sccnce,-physt
'esl intellectual and mcra -hisory, literature, aud
art especially i'll their bearing upon tha improvement
and soclal wsll-being Of hannkind,
That IT, at sny tme pecunisry profits alla!l be made,
such peodts sAau be applied to the further promotion
Of the objects Of the Society," md that thu members Of
the society shall on no account divide my portion Of
such 1rohts among themselves.
That musical performance shall be introduced at
any lecture without the sanction Of general uealng
That :he soniety con.is. Of President aud Vice
pye-ideua, and ordinary ueber ers and that tho man
agenaent OF Its a1airu be by COMMITTEES.
THE MEMBERS.
Among the names Of tho 1856 members at tho
time OF organization aro those Of Prof. Alexan~
der Dain, Prof. !. Z. Cairnes, DR.. r. Spencer
Cobbold. Dalton, Darwin. Grote, Vernon Har-
court Prof. Hunter, Huxley, Tyndall, Y. E.
Lecky, John Stuart Mil, William Pace, Ruskln,
aud other men we'll known On this side OF tho
Atlantic. Tho full List contains tho names Of
Catholics, ChurcLmon. Dissonterz, Jews. and
lnfdols. It was expressly understood that the
lecturers were to be absolutely FREQ to Say what
they wished, but that any particular creed should
only be attacked when belief in it stood in the
way OF the demonstration Of some truth. A
fof frhf efc1 md ff,a
proceeded to its WORK. st. Georges Hall WAS
hired, and lecturers we're engaged.
0EG4sIZlTI0S.
Members pay an annual due Of :E1. This en-
lectures that Gro given each winter. Their
tickets arc transferable. They also re-
ceiyu single tickets to eight OF those lectures.
Reserved soats are sold At shilling, aud others
at slxpence. aud penny. Nobody is admitted
free. There il no charity about the concern.
thom, however, bare way Of giving their pay
back again. Tho Society winks at this pluto
soplicI fraud, md taxes the donation. The
lecturers arc, however, uadar no obligation to
return the money, and Often do not do 30.
TIE LECTURES.
The following list Of the eight lectures deliy-
cred in January and February of 1872 gives
very lair idea Of the usual subjects aud speak
erd
". B. carpeater, Esq, H. D., +. 4. S.. F. L. s..
q EEieno Deusionr with Reference to 'sprstua-
Sebastian Evans, Es7., II. A.. IL. .. lcaubrtdse),
On "Klng Ar.1ar: r3e Legend, End It's sisathcanco
A. q. Green, Esq, n. 4 (Cambrilsc>, F. g. s. {of
Her alajcs1s:s Geoogieal saryey> on . Ice Geo
f "n On .ne ssaery II
lsh 1slce."
Prof. ". L. Hunter, H. L., ca ''stoictszn, Ep1cure-
ss' .n5sn' and Christianity Compared IS Moral sys-
T. 8. cohoold, Esq., IL p, r s., F. L. s. tsst-
ncy Lecturer on Geology, Dreh Museunl), On The
skeleton Of the Higher Ier;cbrata,."
rain; the Scheme Of Crcatlon"
Mrs. Faweett on :" The Elucs1:iou Of Wou1en."
Jon A. Hj.ltan. Of 1ce1a,4d ''The Icelandtc
Language and It's Similarity to Ens1sh The L.er1-
urc OF Iceland, Old and Notcrn.'
When it is remembered that these lectures ere
especially designed for NO! Iusnicn, uuI thai |
hey nell patronized, their value iu the pro-
notion OF popular intelligence becomes appur- I
mt. As many of them are somewhat abstrue:, |
printed analysis Of the lecture to be delivered |
i handed to each person as he enters the hall |
ellis copies Mt q very little more than bare cost. |
THE AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
vas 2S6 the first year, 4G3 the second. and 800 |
he third. Tho statistics for last year have not |
ometimcs in tho evening, sometimes III the I
ttornoon. It il now fixed at p. IN. There ia,
therefore,, no interference with chu1ch-scryices. |
! number Of ciergymcn arc members Of
he Society. but lew protests have been
aado against the alleged desecration OF
lie Sabbath The most dovout observers
t tho day hive been constrained to admit tLat
lie Society Is doing more good than harm. It
reaching men 10 whom no Clergyman could By
ny chance speak. 1t is rcscuing men from the
in-shops by giving tLem here else to 80
Il Sunday afternoons. II il ciylii:ing tt1cn; |
nd civilization, according to Prof. Swing, ia
Material Christianity"
TILE COST OF DOING GOOD
"a been but small. Tho total expenses for tho
eur ending Oct. Is. 1872, we're E37G 1855; the re-
oipts amounted to ELI 6s ID. OF this surn,
249 15s Sd came from membership
,es aud donations. The amount re-
sived for tickets OF admission has averaged
S ISIS I'd per lecture. When it is remembered
lat the highest-priced seat is sold for 4 shil-
ng and the lowest for penny, it will bo seen
1at this sum represents good MANY hearers.
q twenty-forr Sunday afternoons Of every yonr
lis Society breaches the truths Of God as they
opear in different creeds, in Nature, in Philo5o-
~. and in Science, to large audiences OF work.
smen. It gives it's hearers the greatest Of all
'ons,-KnoWledge but it does not debase |
lem by doing this out alms The fact |
'at it is not charity il the cornerstone Of its
lcallence.
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