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    Nov. 3, 1860] The Saturday Analyst and L...

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    A LITTLE LEARNING. LORD PALMERSTON, in t...

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    THE NEW BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. W E have a f...

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    Nov. 3, 1860] The Saturday Analyst And L...

    Nov . 3 , 1860 ] The Saturday Analyst and Leader . 90 S

    A Little Learning. Lord Palmerston, In T...

    A LITTLE LEARNING . LORD PALMERSTON , in the seventy-sixth year of his age , and the fiftieth year of his reign as a guardian of the State , jias suddenly turned moral philosopher . Most people when they are nearirig their latter end , are anxious to become " good " in some way or other . Some build alms-house , others build churches , others turn Dissenting ministers , or tract distributors . Lord Pabmekstokt devotes himself to the moral wants of mechanics and shoeblacks . The noble lord ' s sermons at Leeds breathe the true spirit of enlightened philanthropy ; and so great is the impression they have made on the public mind , that we can only regret that the noble lord did not become a moral philosopher at an earlier period of his life . If he had , we think it possible that the lion and the lamb might have come to an amicable arrangement long ere this , and Dr . Cumming ' s tribulation been altogether avoided . It is generally supposed that there is a fair amount of common sense in the world , biit it seems that we have wanted Lord Palmetston" to tell us that

    two and two make four , in oi'der to be fully convinced of the fact . The Scottish clergy had no idea that there was any cure for cholera but prayer until Lord Paxbieeston went down and told them that they might pray to Dooms-day without effect , if they did not flush their sewers , and cleanse the courts and alleys of their crowded towns . And now the noble lord has dispelled another cloud of darkness * " A little learning is a dangerous tiling , " says the the poet . " Dont believe it , " says Lord Palmerston , " a little is better than none at all . " One would imagine that commonl earning sense had discovered the true application of this observation long ago . But it appears not . Lord PaI / MErston has first made the discovery , and we are all agape at the clever thing he has said .

    Such is . the advantage of possessing a great name , and occupying a high position . Every word that flows from such a . mouth is ari oracle , and every triteand worn-out sentiment or opinion the utterance of a sage . How Lord Bkougiiam must smile at the adulation of Lord Pai-merston's discoveries on education which are now ringing in all the newspapers . More than thirty years ago he and Dr . Biricbeck fully recognised and practically acted upon the principles which the public are now accepting frdrri Lord PaLmerston as discoveries . Mechanics' Institutes , arid the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge , have long been jiractical exponents of the well-recognised fact , that a little learning is bptter . than none at all . And is it riot long . since , Mr . Recorder Hill clearly demonstrated that the only effectual cure for crime was the educatibn of

    the poorer classes . Yet it seems to be regarded as ssomethirig quite new * _ en Lord Palmebstox tells us , at this late hour of the day of civilisation , that , " the amount of the '" evils which afflict society greatly depends upon the direction which is given in the earliest years of life to the minds of the rising generation . " The & reat pioneers in the march of social regeneration may well exclaim here , ' * Tha nk you for riothi ng . '' They laid do we th ese principles ¦ ¦ thirty , years ago , and have been acting ¦ upon them ever since , l ^ o \ v , when lialf the work has been done ; Ay hen houses of refuge , arid TefprmatorieSiand ragged schools have been . established all over the land , arid when -the results , are showing ; . thplrisplves in a marked and appreciable diminution in the number of criminals , pur leadjng riien p f the political worldi step forward and toll us ! that we should do wluit we hay ^ indeed , in default pf the obstacles \ yhich they havevthrowri in our

    way . ; . . ¦ ¦; ¦¦ - . ¦ , ¦ ¦ ¦ - . ¦ . ¦ :.. ¦ . ¦ . . ¦; . , , , ¦ .: - ¦ : ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . ¦ . ¦ .. .. , If the l ^ riest truth were tol d ,,, the governing classes , the laiidpAviierSj and tiio gei ) itry , are only npw accepting these spqial mpye-r ments because they can no longer resist theiri . They have become Liberals by , the . same . process .. They resisted the i stream , as long as tliey ceuld but when they cowld ! no lpnger oppose its accunnilatPd force , they liajlno , alternatives but to go with it , or bo swamped ; , ¦ '" ' . , " . ¦ . ' ¦" ' . '¦¦'¦ '' : . '' . ' . ' . ' ' ' . ¦;'" ' ' ' . ' ¦ ¦ ¦" ' •¦ ¦ :. , . ' ¦ . ' ; ' ThoyoI ' ¦ ' ¦ . is jiossibly : ' no social dpctrhiq which has dpno ; sp int * ch harm . as this self-same dictum about ii ^ Ltjtlo ; learning "; It is a doptriho which the ceuji . fy'y * gentleman aiid , the landowner have hugged as the * dearest item of their creed . By . acting , upon it and ; shutting put thoiiv . far-til , labeurors frPin tho ,. benefits of oyeri

    the inost ' , ;• elementary ed ucatipn , they have boon : able tp ' dpgKa 4 Q . ^ . ^ tiwln : Tv ' tp . \¦' , t ¦ Ho . ^¦ i < 3 yol of » egrp slaves , and : jseep dbwii 1 Ayiagea to nme-. ' sMlUiigs a week . > Uho ''¦ pla ' v ' Qowners of Virginia go upon tho sajno principle . They ^ yili tell you that it 18 , u baxi'thi ^^ tb pduoato niggers , fprithpn ; they rpa & books , grpw religipua , and . don't dp nod ? so inuoh work ; And , in tliis country , while the landlords havo resisted the ^ projxd of ¦ qdupotioiT , , oi'dbr to keop . dp ww Ayagos , the political qlassos havp . diseourngpd it fpr a siraUar on 4-- ' W ond o ^ itally solfish , ; i ^ ugoporpus , and ¦ wicked . Tlip ^ t oncl has boon tb kooj ,: ^ i 1 tihib massei ? in ignorarioe , that tliqy n >) ight bo justiiied in c ^ ouy ing thoiy political , rights . 'JljtO ,, ppppnepts pf , ilefprin , hayp dveaded npijljinff so mucjli as : the crrowinc intoliiii'enoo of tho workinjr olassoS . JSvon its advocates

    Htt , vp beoii Ixawatod witli . misgiving's ipi * the result of a ¦ wwlelyextonAed suflVago , consequent upon tlw elevation of the massos . Wp nius , ^; ull , pf ppxirsoj greatly I'o . jpioo tluiit pur mastoi' 9 , W" - goyprnbi's tii'o lieginning' to plaop tHoinsblyos at tho liomVp ' f the groat spolnl ; tvpd' odupa ; ti (> n . al \ ^ p-yejnonts pf ¦ tliq- ' ^ o . ^ . ' . Wo sHall npt rejpot tliosp labourers or dony tli «? i > i their ' fair ahpiro of orodit , oyen thougli they havo not opino i ^ tp , tho vineyard , until , tho bleyentti hour . At tho sairio time , howpvor , wo cannot nllow tlipin . tp talk ( vs if they had , boon the iirat yjpUm ; to 6 ' r 8 pi the oaugp , artd / had bovno wi . hodt of ; tji ' o day . Tlvore is sompthirig Positively ri 4 i , oulpus in . tM'u , atisumptip ^ . Tlio , . J ? romi () r .., ftt \ . tho inrefj , onti '" t \ ra , ^ , Ib ®< nn $ abo ^ t . tho ooni ^ tvy , J . i , lsp , a , ffvont Liboxixtoy , yrhd f ! ha & 6 nly nist aol ^ ipyod , hi ^ ppportuwiity . Ho assu » ioH itJUo pfflioo , o £ d epiti . " qt . spoitil WossiaL . 'jvlio liafi . pnly ju ^ t ooiw

    upon earth to grapple -with the fullness of wrath . No one would suppose that the field had been open to him any time during the last half century . One cannot help laughing at the clap-trap character of some of the noble lord ' s proceedings in the north . There , for example , is his visit to Fairburn . His lordship has an estate there , partly hereditary and partly purchased , the tenants of which have paid him rent for half-a-century ; but it is seven and twenty years since they have seen the face of their landlord , Only one old lady remembered ever , having cast eyes upon him , and it is interesting to know that the noble lord was " a handsome man when he came afore , that is , he was younger like , for he ' s very handsome now , you know , for his time . " And the noble lord made up for his long absence by showing 1 that he was as handsome in deeds as

    in looks . On passing through Fairburn's one street the attention of the Liberator was arrested by a low iron-hooped door , guarding the entrance to what seemed to be a cavern cut out of the sandstone rock . " There , " said the Liberator , "is a place worthy of Naples—what is it ? " " Fairburn ' s lock-up , please your lordship , " was the replyl " Who ' s is it ? " " Your lordship ' s . " . " Oh ! mine , is it ? " rejoined the Liberator , sharply , " then let it be taken down , and see that it is done at once . " So no doubt by this time Fairburn ' s bastille has been razed to the ground . Was there ever anything ' finer in a play ? We really must have an historical picture of this—Lord Palmeksto : x ordering- the demolition of the Fairburn

    lock-up . Erom what we hear of ihe dimensions of the dread prison , two men and a boy for half a day will be quite equal to the duty of sweeping this last stronghold of tyranny from the face of the earth and—the market-place of Fairburn . Henceforth every man in Fairburn will be at liberty to get drunk and conduct himself" obstreporoursly " with impunity ; for Lord Palmeeston has said that there shall be no longer a lock-up in Fairburn , and his word is law . The noble lord would seem to imagine that it only required a speech from him on social regeneration to put ^ everything right . He must be conviriced , at any rate r that there is to be no more wickedness in Fairburn , since he has given orders for the demolition of the lock-up . ;

    The New Benevolent Society. W E Have A F...

    THE NEW BENEVOLENT SOCIETY . W E have a few additional remarks to make on the intentions of a New Berievdlent Association for the Relief ^ the Poor arid Distressed—an association , professing its readiness to co-operate with all or any of the numerous benevolent institutions already in existence in London . The idea is highly laudable , and we shallgladly hear any further detailsi when the ^^ plan ; . . ; is' more matured . So much strerigth and money are often ^ thrownawayni England , from carelessness about details , loose prganizatipri , a , nd what the French would call want of logic , that we venture to offer , in as few words as possible , the . details of the Prussian arrangements

    Berlin for tlie reh ' ef and superinteridence of those who are pbligedat to appeal to pub ] ic charity ibr total or partial support . . The writer from whpm the sketch i $ taken—and few iripre intelligent and pbseryarit travellers have ever taken pen in hand- ^ proriounces the system excellent in its working ; The multitude of pur poor , their habits ^ locations , resources , arid rixain stream of relief , idifter widely from those in Berlin , so we offer the Prussiani system , npt for ¦ addp ^ tion in its totality ^ but : as one from . which some ? important hints may perhaps be taken , . ¦ . ; BorUn , says our traveller Owe abridge him ) , with a ; pppulatipn ^ between 300 , 000 and 400 ^ 000 , has no popr rates ; no allpwed . regular meridicity > tho land in its yiciiri'ty is bad , and its manufacturing operations trifling ; yet each municipality : of ; the city mapages to pro-, vide adequately for itpipwn ) ip 6 r jviaiirily by the agency qf what may bo calied ^ private ; eleflriiosynary ^ exertion . Every ; municipauty appoints directers (\ yit ] b .. the Biivgoinaste . i' as president ) : irpm oi i uuimv w ? 1

    members pt tfte magisDrapy , pne , ow « ^ , «*/ : ^^ ^ "r . " * bers selected bV each parish , put of its parishipners j in this directiqn clergy and medical iniBn nxay , and often dp , join ., These manage , besides the superintenderico Pf the lp . bser pppio the pppr-scwppls , poor-hpusps , arid hpspitals , and See to the distribi ^ tipn of their tujxds . Nox' is the superintendoncp a cawloas or , superficial one ; lndecdi bo greati ' s thOvattontipii tp tlio sick pppr , that steainand sulphurpaths are ^ supplied them when rieccssary , and t ] ioyarp . often sent tpdnnk ^ minpral ' w ^ tei's-. ¦ .: '¦ ¦ ¦ ¦' : ' \ ' . v i : ' ;/¦' : : ' , ¦ ¦¦ •¦ . ¦ ¦ ,. ¦ . ¦ ; ' . ' ¦ " , As in tlip case of bur district visitprs , each popr-cpramisBj , oner has a distinct sectipri pf his district put under his charge , arid in general is riot ; resppJasible fpr the cai-o of ^ opo-. thj ^ , ^ , * - ;^^ . ;^^ families . The number of pauper coinimissipneve will npyr ^ probaply amount to noavly a tli ^ sand ; it was considevabl y sfaauor WhenJVtr . Xaino gave his account , and they tire chosen st > liberally from , all decent and wpU-to-do mcmborH ef tho cprilthunity > / that even _ a rpspoctable maator chimnoy . sweop \ vas one pf thew number , Ati the pnd pf oach njionth , the poor commissioners -Kola a meeting tp moko their report and settle business . ¦ , .

    ;;; ;; ; , _ ,. _ . ^ Ha paupor i' 0 ( iuirp ^ roliof , ho appUos tp the president pftne disti'iet , who xnalv , os mimito inctuirvos intp tho case ; if i , t appoars worthy ho t-ofers it to tlip opinihisHip ^ prs of tho aootion ^ wmpfc tho pauper ia living ; intiuirios avo made resnootirig i «» f * jW pi ! rosidonop . ( in urgont pases iiuinoditlto rplwt . may ^ t ^ W ^ L by pprmissioii of the president ) ; U' the WWt # f ^ tm ^ f S found to -bo opi-root , > twenty-rnvo ynirt < Sd fltuesUons , W *^™ rog ^ ding his opnnoptipns , ago , JmlDi , ai ^ i /^^^ jgfe wfiufc ho is bpund to answpr ; and hoxp U ¦*'}» $ fZ ^ ^ : £ 1 ' ru ^ ia tho uoarost blood relations , iu < o l ^ pund W ^ 'fflX sup ^ t thoh- pgoi' vohvtivos . n « iotoPW ¦ } . » . WOT Ji % g < 2 > vi ' L o » his staipmopt , « n 4 > f . tho Ond ot tho 1 toM ag ttomurtho dooiHioiv of' tho opwnia « pno » ' 8 .-V \ vw ^ ton ' ilm * aso serv

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 3, 1860, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03111860/page/5/