,transcribed from the #ahfj ,j4 ,bumpus edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,she hath done what she could4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,discourse ,,addressed ,,to ,,the ,,ratepayers ,,of ,,st4 ,,marylebone1 ,,urging ,,the ,,adoption ,,of ,,the ,,public ,,libraries ,,act1 #ahee4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,matthew ,,feilde1 ,,st4 ,,david',s ,,college4 ,late ,member of the ,committee of the ,newspaper ,press ,association1 for obtaining the ,repeal of the ,paper ,duty4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but it is to ,free ,libraries and ,news ,rooms1 and ,,not to high-priced ,institutes1 that you must look for the spread of knowledge and intellectual culture4 ,it may be argued that #as4 #f;d4 a quarter1 or #fs4 a year1 is not much to pay to a ,working ,man's ,association4 ,i contend it is exactly #ds4 #d;d4 too much1 as a halfpenny rate in the pound on a #dj house would amount to only #as4 #h;d4 a year4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,j4 ,,bumpus1 #aeh1 ,,oxford ,,street4 #ahfj4 ,price ,sixpence4 99 99 99 99 99 8,she hath done what she could40 ,,to ,,the ,,ratepayers ,,of ,,st4 ,,marylebone4 ,,ladies ,,and ,,gentlemen1 ,,the ,,field ,,of ,,battle is in sight at last6 ,the ,st4 ,marylebone ,mental ,light ,columns1 escorted by ,troops of ,progress in bright armour1 with ,advancement in ,knowledge ,rifle ,corps1 fair women1 and brave men1 are in marching order1 and eager for the fray with the ,mental ,darkness ,brigade1 the cruel and relentless enemies of ,improvement4 ,the ,obstructive ,forces for the defence of ,,ignorance1 with a great flourish of trumpets1 proclaiming themselves friends of the poor par excellence1 are marching in defile1 and scenting the battle afar off4 ,these bitter and unscrupulous foes1 who care as much for the ,poor1 as their pretended and hollow friend1 ,judas ,iscariot1 who when he cried aloud for the public1 meant only himself1 of whom it was said1 8not that he cared for the poor1 but because he carried the bag10 who murmured at the waste of costly ointment of spikenard with which ,mary had anointed the feet of ,,jesus1 and treacherously asked 8why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor80 ,these determined opponents of ,progress--,parish ,magnates--who dread the light of intelligence1 and whose excessive desire to guard the ratepayers' pockets is suspicious1 and reminds me of ,judas' anxiety to trade on the distress of the poor4 ,this ,ignorant ,phalanx1 officered by pompous little great men1 or loud little foolish men1--small vanities and pomposities1 whose cry is 8more taxation10 and who seem to say1 8,i am the ,parish10 and 8when ,i speak let no dog bark20 all these small politicians and miserable ,,do-,,nothings are making ready for the field4 ,a motley group are these specious ,antagonists6 ,frantic about the ,ballot1 clinging to some ,utopian impracticable reform1 these sciolists and pedagogues presume to snarl at the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer1 and denounce him as a financial jobber1 wishing to float every stranding newspaper with public money1 and who speak of our foremost ,statesman and his ,bill for the repeal of the ,paper ,duty1 8as a sop to that ,cerberus1 the ,press1 to get the support of the newspapers of the country40 ,what skimbleskamble stuff6 ,consistent only in its inconsistency1 true to its base1 diabolical instincts1 the ,times with the malice of ,disraeli1 and the hypocrisy of the ,tempter1 so far from supporting1 positively revels in slandering this ,,conscientious ,minister4 ,yes1 the veering1 versatile1 infamous ,times faithful to one principle only--unprincipled wickedness exerts every nerve to retain this obnoxious tax4 ,it has assailed the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer1 and vilified his policy with a vindictiveness which ,shylock might have envied1 and which even cheap journalism disdained4 ,parish officials who ought to know better1 prose about the danger of innovation4 ,not too fast4 ,slow and sure4 ,no complaints2 no mischief has yet taken place2 stay till it has taken place6 ,wait a little this is not the time6 ,with pretended friends of ,progress the right time will never arrive2--to-day is the plea1 exclusion the object4 ,i admit your 8,poor rate is enormous10 but ,i rest my case on this fact1 as a strong argument for adopting this humanizing ,act of ,parliament4 ,all these insidious foes either ignore or misrepresent the objects and purposes of the ,,public ,,libraries' ,,act4 ,miserable economists in the guise of friends of poor-rate defaulters1 7whose talk about the ,lisson ,grove ,sunday nuisance is vain and hypocritical1 while opposing ,lord ,chelmsford's ,bill1 who have not the courage to say1 8,we don't believe in the education of those who have to work107 make use of the ratepayers to pare down necessary ,parochial expenditure1 and to cry down the wisest outlay of the ,public money1 in order to place themselves in office1 and who on the utterly fallacious plea that a half-penny ,library ,rate is a compulsory and oppressive tax1 would artfully dissuade you from supporting the ,news ,rooms ,act on its own merits4 ,know ,nothings1 and ,dreamers1 whose emblem is1 8,man never ,,is1 but always ,,to ,,be1 blest40 8candid friends10 coarse but not witty1 seeking in every possible way to disparage this beneficent project1 in short1 ,,pretended ,,and ,,hollow friends of the poor1 who1 like the arch traitor in the text ,,care ,,not ,,one ,,straw ,,for ,,the ,,good ,,of ,,the ,,people1 are going on to meet the armed men1 the soldiers of victory1 thrice armed as having their cause1 or casus belli just4 ,but unlike other encounters1 in this ,engagement there will be no gathering tears and tremblings of distress4 ,the heroic women of ,st4 ,marylebone especially1 will take comfort in the thought that fortune favours the brave1 and that although the race is not always to the swift1 nor the battle to the strong1 they have1 come what may1 deserved success1 for they have done what they could to win the battle4 ,clad in the armour of ,righteousness you will know no fear2 you will mock at fear and not be affrighted2 you will meet the treacherous foe with self-approving smiles2 ,conscience will whisper in your ears the memorable words of the ,,saviour to ,mary1 8,,she ,,hath ,,done ,,what ,,she ,,could0 to secure the victory4 ,i have said this ,public ,library movement--this precious boon of ,reading for ,all is especially a ,,woman',s ,,question1 and ,i hope the ,meeting will be graced by many ,ladies to attest its truth and do honour to this great occasion4 ,with such powerful allies ,i for one have no fear of the result4 8,from woman's eyes this doctrine ,i derive1 ,they sparkle still the true ,promethean fire2 ,they are the books1 the arts1 the academies ,that show1 contain and nourish all the world40 ,i have briefly alluded to the economic aspect of this question1 and shewn how pauperism would be diminished by the advance of the people in ,knowledge4 ,you may depend upon it nothing is so expensive to this ,parish1 so burdensome on the rates as ,,ignorance and ,,inebriety4 ,i have designated the ,public ,libraries ,act as a scheme for reducing the rates by improving the condition of the people4 ,let me for one moment turn from the s4 d4 point of view1 to the social4 ,what power in ,,books6 ,what various knowledge in those great ,public ,instructors1 ,,newspapers6 ,,god be thanked for ,books6 ,no matter how poor ,i am1 no matter if the rich will not enter my obscure dwelling4 ,if the oldest and most precious of all books1 the ,,bible1 with its unparalleled wisdom1 with its unrivalled ,english1 and its unequalled and incomparable ,poetry is my companion and familiar friend1--if ,,shakespeare1 the first of uninspired writers1 still enchants me with his presence1 and the witty ,,sydney ,,smith1 7whom bigots1 with their little learning but enormous arrogance1 stigmatize 8irreligious07 preaches to me with his practical wisdom2 though languid perhaps with toil ,i shall not pine for want of intellectual associates1 and ,i may become lettered1 though entirely excluded from other companionship4 ,what humanizing tendencies in ,books1 and how imperceptibly they influence the habits and tastes of the ,public6 ,do what you can then to satisfy this increasing thirst for intelligence1 and the cultivation of the intellect1 and you will enlarge the field of remunerative employment1 you will open up the avenues to honourable and congenial occupation to young women1 whom the narrow existing labour market fails to find bread1 let alone the means of support4 ,but1 remember it will be an uphill fight1 for there must be two to one in favour of this permissive1 and not compulsory ,act1 and no poll can be demanded4 ,to the best of my ability ,i have set it forward2 and to you ,i now remit this ,,woman',s question1 believing as ,i do that despite conventional frowns or sneers1 you will1 like the youthful ,david1 valorously shoot down this giant ignorance that is desolating our land1 and that with the shield of ,,bellew1 ,,tout ,d',,en ,,haut 7,all from on ,high1 from ,above1 from the ,father of ,lights17 you will triumph in a cause second to none in its economic and social bearings4 ,i use no unmeaning phrase when ,i again assure the ,ladies of ,st4 ,marylebone that in inviting them to take part in this conflict1 on the issue of which so much depends1 in asking them to come out and separate themselves from the vain1 and frivolous1 and heartless1 ,i invite them to no unfeminine or unbecoming action4 ,believe me the time has come when you must throw off indecorous reserve and squeamishness1 that is if you really desire to do good and raise yourselves on the social ladder1 if you really desire to be released from the terrible bondage of ,,governessing1 or the cruel servitude of ,,dress ,,making4 ,you are ,,not called upon to lead ,troops1 or to ,preach1 or to make public speeches about ,woman's rights1 but ,,you ,,are earnestly entreated to ,,save ,,yourselves1 to agitate this subject started by a distinguished political writer1 viz43 8,,what ,,will ,,the ,,women ,,do ,,next80 ,take fast hold then of this ,public ,library question1 agitate it with nothing but your humanities about you1 and the time is not distant when the field of profitable employment for young women shall be considerably widened4 ,that civilization must be very imperfect1 extremely smooth and artificial1 which selfishly permits and tyrannically decrees that the kitchen1 and the nursery1 the workroom and the factory shall entirely absorb energies which might be much more usefully directed4 ,mr4 ,john ,bennett1 so honourably identified with the cause of progress and social reform1 urges the importance of ,national ,instruction as a sine qu non1 without which it is vain to expect ,english women to compete with the ,swiss in watchwork1 and discloses the humiliating fact that the number of uneducated women in ,england1 as ascertained by the signing of the marriage register was1 one-third greater than that of men1 and that out of nearly #hj1jjj women who were married1 #fh1age could not write their names1 but had to sign the register thus1 8her cross40 ,surely this is not a state of things to be proud of1 there is no ground here for boasting and glorification1 and the condition of ,england1 as a ,nation1 wholly uneducated1 is in strong contrast to that of the ,swiss population1 where all the means and appliances of education of the highest character are to be found even in the remotest village4 ,when doctors disagree ,i will not presume to decide as to the necessity of granting medical diplomas to women1 but why not 8,women and ,watch-work80 ,is the ,swiss girl more naturally artistic than the ,english8 ,is she more capable8 ,certainly not4 ,it is instruction alone which constitutes her superiority4 ,let a woman be employed in that branch of industry for which she is adapted4 ,why there are parts of a watch which a woman can finish far better than the best workman4 ,talk of negro slavery1 the tyranny of the workshop is more odious1 more hateful in every respect4 ,but ,i rejoice to perceive the dawn of a brighter day when a truer and higher civilization will threw open the doors of ,watch ,manufactories and ,printing ,offices to ,english women4 ,ladies of ,st4 ,marylebone1 ,i invite you to attend the ,public ,library ,meeting at the ,literary ,institution1 #ag1 ,edwards ,street1 ,portman ,square1 at #ab o'clock at noon1 on ,monday #ahth ,june1 #ahfj4 ,on this vital question ,i counsel you to throw off the absurd trammels and customs of fashion4 ,the law allows you to vote for the ,libraries ,act1 and ,i warn you that if you persist in clinging to delusion1 if you permit yourselves to be overcome by indifference and listlessness1--if you 8likes to be despised10 and prefer being tied and bound by the chains of fashion1--the day will come when you will bitterly repent such fastidious and disdainful behaviour4 ,read ,,anna ,,jameson',s 8,communion of ,labour40 ,prisons1 ,reformatories1 ,schools1 ,hospitals1 ,workhouses1 all engaged the attention of this noble person4 ,like ,florence ,nightingale she was in every sense a model woman4 ,yet those eyes1 beaming with intelligence1 have now lost their lustre1 and are for ever closed1 and the hand that wrote that admirable pamphlet is mouldering in its shroud4 ,but though dead1 she still speaks to you in terms more eloquent than any ,i can use4 ,,anna ,,jameson would say to you1 8,be true to yourselves and naught shall make you rue40 ,believe me the custom of confining women to mean1 or trifling pursuits is 8,a custom ,more honour'd in the breach1 than the observance40 ,you who may be so powerful in society1 why should you remain powerless8 ,why not do what you can to slay this ,demon ,ignorance in ,st4 ,marylebone8 ,why should ,central ,africa and other far off ,missions engross your ,,first attention8 ,i exhort you to attend this ,library ,meeting1 and take your part in this good work4 ,yes1 vote for an ,act which will bring silent1 yet most interesting companions1 ,,books to your ,homes6 ,but do not too curiously and haughtily enquire1 as is the wont of some1 8,who is the chief ,promoter of this movement80 8,,non ,,quo1 ,,sed ,,quo ,,modo1 ,not who1 but how10 must be your battle cry4 ,be swayed by arguments1 rather than by authority4 ,consider what is said1 not who says it2 never mind whether he has1 or has not a bank account4 8,o what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults ,looks handsome in six hundred pounds a year60 ,yes1 hold up your hands for the adoption of the ,libraries ,act1 and in the hour of death1 when the world and its allurements are receding from your view1 when alone and deserted by your so-called friends1 how it will console you in that solemn moment to be sensible that you have obeyed the voice of ,,him who spake as never man spoke1 that you gladly took the advice of your ,,ascended ,,lord to 8make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness40 ,ah6 think of eyes so young1 obscured1 and darkened by tears1 that you will thus make clear and glad6 ,on your vote the question may be determined1 and the hour has struck when you should be leaders1 and not the slaves1 of opinion4 ,it is meet and right that you should ,,lead in a cause which promotes ,,early ,,closing1 and which would confer in other ways a real and enduring benefit on your ,parish4 ,hear the fine thoughts of ,festus and treasure them in your memories4 8,grant this we pray ,thee1 and that all who read1 ,or utter noble thoughts may make them theirs1 ,and thank ,god for them1 to the betterment ,of their succeeding life2--that all who lead ,the general sense and taste1 too apt1 perchance1 ,to be led1 keep in mind the mighty good ,they may achieve1 and are in conscience1 bound1 ,and duty1 to attempt unceasingly1 ,to compass4 ,grant us1 all-maintaining ,sire6 ,that all the great mechanic aids to toil ,man's skill hath formed1 found1 rendered1--whether used ,in multiplying works of mind1 or aught ,to obviate the thousand wants of life1 ,may much avail the human welfare now1 ,and in all ages henceforth1 and for ever4 ,let their effect be1 ,lord6 to ,,lighten ,,labour1 ,and give more room to mind1 and leave the ,poor ,some time for ,,self-,,improvement4 ,let them not ,be forced to grind the bones out of their arms ,for bread1 but have some space to think and feel ,like moral and immortal creatures4 ,look ,thou with pity on all lesser crimes1 ,thrust on men almost when devoured by want1 ,wretchedness1 ignorance and outcast life6 ,have mercy on the rich1 too1 who pass by ,the means they have at hand to fill their minds ,with serviceable knowledge for themselves1 ,and fellows1 and support not the good cause ,of the world's better future6 ,may ,peace1 and ,industry1 and ,commerce weld ,into one ,land all ,nations of the ,world1 ,rewedding those the ,deluge once divorced4 ,oh6 may all help each other in good things1 ,mentally1 morally1 and bodily4 ,vouchsafe1 kind ,god6 ,thy blessing to this ,isle1 ,specially4 ,may ,,england ever lead ,,the ,,world1 for ,she is worthiest2 and may all ,profit by her example1 and adopt ,her course1 wherever great1 or free1 or just40 ,my ,lords and ,gentlemen1 ,i contend that it is a discredit1 that1 in the largest and richest ,parish in the ,metropolis1 and in the ,united ,kingdom1 there is not only not a vestige of a free public ,news ,room1 but that ,st4 ,marylebone lags behind the poor ,parish of ,st4 ,john's ,westminster1 where for upwards of three years1 the ,,news ,,room has been a source of great attraction4 ,should you visit this ,news ,room1 in ,great ,smith ,street1 the silence1 order1 and evident interest of some two hundred readers1 must strike you4 ,the conduct of the frequenters of this ,reading ,room is very praiseworthy4 ,i was told of one who came from ,highgate1 and open as it is to all comers1 in all grades of life1 it is pleasant to notice the influence of the judicious instruction to the librarian1 which ,mr4 ,stuart ,dalton first introduced at ,liverpool1 viz41 8,that all persons1 however ill-dressed or poor1 who are cleanly1 shall be treated as gentlemen40 ,yet the good ship 8,westminster10 is in danger of being cast away1 of splitting on the dangerous rock1 parsimony2 she is on a lea-shore with breakers ahead2 signals of distress are flying1 and ,st4 ,marylebone will come to the rescue4 ,yes6 this great and important parish will make an effort to preserve so admirable a vessel4 ,let her not founder1 when you could save1 let her not go down when you could prevent4 ,i drop the figure and tell you plainly1 that the force of your example in adopting ,mr4 ,ewart's ,act1 is much needed by the ,smith ,street ,institution1 which looks to you for encouragement and sympathy4 ,and not only ,st4 ,margaret1 but other ,metropolitan ,parishes will follow the lead of ,st4 ,marylebone4 ,london1 too1 will wake from its long lethargic slumber1 and1 undismayed by the defeat of #ahee1 will anxiously watch how you deal with this question4 ,lord ,mayor ,carter will not imitate his predecessors in frustrating the intentions of the ,legislature2 #aa and although an enthusiast in ,rifle ,brigades will find time to summon a meeting as to the policy of firing a shot at ,ignorance1 directly ,st4 ,marylebone carries the ,act1 and affirms that ,,knowledge ,,should ,,be ,,the ,,portion ,,of ,,all6 ,the working of the ,libraries ,act in ,manchester1 has given great satisfaction4 ,artists1 authors1 surgeons1 chemists1 lawyers1 clerks in1 and out of orders1 and artizans frequent the ,reading ,room4 ,so in ,marylebone the ,public ,library would benefit not one alone1 but ,,all classes4 ,such an ,institution would do something to diminish that ,,isolation of class1 which the dying ,,talfourd rightly said was the bane of ,england4 ,gentlemen1 it is miserable policy in this free country to allow a dangerous class1 utterly uninformed1 to grow up in your very midst3 8,a savage ,horde1 among the civilized1 ,a ,,servile ,,band among the ,,lordly ,,free40 is a perilous experiment4 ,if you do not look after them1 rely on it they will look after you1 and when it is 8too late10 you will deeply regret your ruinous economy1 and short-sightedness1 in not doing what you could to soften their manners1 and make them less brutal1 and also to qualify them for the ,suffrage by wisely proffering these young ,mohawks and ,ojibbeways of ,lisson ,grove especially1 ,,intellectual ,,implements ,,and ,,tools4 ,in #aheh the rental of the ,parish of ,st4 ,marylebone1 assessed to the poor rate1 was valued at #iaa1egj2 this sum at one halfpenny in the pound1 produces #a1hii #bs4 #a;d4 ,to speak of an education-rate like this as an infliction1 to describe such an impost as a heavy tax1 is mere rant1 and to talk about the thin end of the wedge1 or the 8last feather10 c41 is a mischievous abuse of language4 ,the inestimable good of ,,public ,,news ,,rooms and ,,lending ,,libraries1 will1 despite heavy platitudes and dreary sophistries1 win their way4 ,take honest pride in being able to say3 ,i helped by my vote to secure to ,st4 ,marylebone this incalculable benefit1 which would be confined to no one class exclusively1 but which would be every man's possession and every man's right4 ,that will be a ,waterloo day in the social annals of ,st4 ,marylebone1 when guided by this magnificent idea1 you wisely determine to establish so excellent an ,institution4 ,to such societies as the ,workman's ,institute1 #bji1 ,euston ,road1 and the ,all ,souls' ,mutual ,improvement1 ,great ,portland ,street1 and to the 8,patrons0 of ,sir ,benjamin ,hall's ,pet1 rickety bantling1 in ,gloucester ,place1 now happily defunct1 to which ,i refer1 on account of the confusion it caused as a sham of the first class1 ,to friends of ,progress1 like ,lord ,shaftesbury1 #ac;a ,lord ,overstone1 ,mr4 ,robert ,hanbury1 and ,mr4 ,j4 ,payne1 it is fit a few words of remonstrance should be addressed4 ,why1 year after year repudiate1--why perversely ignore the ,public ,libraries ,act8 ,why disquiet yourselves in vain8 ,why set up your puny wisdom against that of ,parliament8 ,why seek to bolster up ill managed1 cliquish1 moribund ,institutes8 ,why this morbid1 excessive anxiety to ,,patronize8 ,that ,patron system so fatal to self-respect1 produces sycophants1 not men4 ,the ,rector of ,all ,souls candidly admitted his ,institution was in articulo mortis1 and that the higher classes took no interest in this weak1 sickly infant4 ,no doubt the object is good1 but how far wiser for the ,district ,rectors to take up the amended ,act1 which applies 8to ,parishes40 ,take it up ,,not in a carping1 criticising1 fault finding spirit1 but rather ,,supplement it1 by ,concerts1 ,readings1 and ,lectures4 ,g4 ,,montague ,,davis1 ,,esq41 whose recitations exhibit so much cleverness1 informs me1 ,london ,lecturers1 of no mean talent1 would gladly deliver a course at the ,st4 ,marylebone ,public ,library4 #ac;b ,supplement it with ,,recreation and ,,refreshment ,rooms4 ,never forget the scope and design of the ,act is to ,,attract1 ,,not to repel1 to ,,amuse1 as well as to instruct1 the people4 ,i will assume that you have carried the ,act3--that is a good work1 but ,i warn you it is not sufficient4 ,the ,legislature tells you to do the best you can with this enabling ,act4 ,,supplement it then by all means1 and make the avenues and approaches to your ,news ,rooms pleasant and entertaining4 ,you will never attract the men of fustian jackets1 and horny hands1 unless you can combine amusement with instruction4 ,i grant that newspaper reading1 as the most effective instrument of public instruction1 should be encouraged as much as possible1 but it is no easy matter to go from ten and twelve hours work in search of useful knowledge4 ,you must provide good and cheap ,,recreation4 ,i entertain serious misgivings that additional ,church ,accommodation is ,,not the most pressing question of the day4 ,there is a taste to be formed1 and a mind to be humanized by enjoyment1 before ,church or ,chapel services can be relished4 ,no doubt books and papers are attractive1 but ,i am pleading for the man wearied and exhausted by a day of toil4 ,in a caf1 in the ,rue de la ,roquette1 near the ,place de la ,bastille1 ,paris1 ,i observed fifty ouvriers in blouses playing at billiards4 ,all appeared to be innocently enjoying themselves2 why not8 ,there is no necessary connexion between billiards and gambling1 and the question arises if the ,club1 or ,billiard room is beneficial or allowable to the ,gentleman1 why not also to the ,working ,man8 ,to successfully combat the allurements of cabarets and gin palaces1 you must 8compel0 men to visit your ,news ,rooms by the force of superior attraction4 ,there is 8,,rest0 enough1 too much1 already4 ,nothing breaks the low and grovelling monotony of 8the ,pious ,public ,house40 ,no healthier pursuit interferes with the recreation supplied by the tap-room1 or the sanded parlour4 ,you must tempt people into churches--the arguments of fear have not succeeded in making them frequented4 ,the excitements you employ are not sufficient to attract the poor to your benches--try the effect of supplementing the ,act1 as ,i have briefly indicated--take it up in this wise temper1 and you will have no dismal failures to lament4 ,gentlemen1 it is related of the ,emperor ,,augustus--it was the glory of his reign--that he found ,rome brick1 and that he left it marble4 ,let it be your higher aim1 your nobler distinction1 that you found the people ignorant1 and that you left them ,,instructed--that you found them wholly untaught in political and social science1 #ae and that you left them ,,intelligent--that you found the gates of the temple of knowledge closed to the toiling classes1 and that you ,,opened ,,them ,,to ,,all6 ,gentlemen1 ,i belong to no ,party1 but ,i will yield to none in my earnest desire to thoroughly ,,restore and ,,repair the venerable ,fabric of the ,constitution1 and to put the ,representation of the ,people on a firm basis1 and to have a ,house of ,commons for the common people4 ,i am for a more comprehensive franchise than the symbolical one of lath and plaster4 ,i would give a vote to every man certified as competent to ,,read and ,,write4 ,i prefer a representation of ,,intelligent ,,men to any ,franchise that can be devised4 ,what claim has an illiterate hind to the ,elective franchise8 ,not the slightest4 ,you put a dangerous weapon into his hand of the use of which he is ignorant4 ,the ,suffrage is a ,,trust1 and a man wholly uninstructed is unqualified to exercise it4 ,philosophers laugh at manhood suffrage de se1 and ask why should not such a franchise include women8 ,i am of opinion that a ,reading and ,writing qualification is fairer and more equitable1 and affords as good a security for an honest vote1 as any s4 d4 franchise whatever4 ,with an untaxed ,press1 with ,knowledge set free1 with cheap and good ,literature1 such a suffrage could not fail to stimulate the popular education4 ,i have no faith in a #f or a #e franchise1 unless it is annexed with a reading certificate1 and to make no provision for a #aj or #ab ,,lodger ,,franchise1 as ,mr4 ,james proposes1 seems mean popularity-hunting1 and like a determination on the part of ,lord ,john ,russell to ignore the claims of a very large and respectable class in ,st4 ,marylebone1 and other ,metropolitan ,parishes1 because they are quiet and not demonstrative4 ,but such palpable injustice cannot be endured for ever4 ,that 8ugly rush10 predicted by ,mr4 ,henley1 may yet come2 for there is always danger of convulsion when large bodies of men are insulted1 and deprived of their just political rights1 in order to please the rampant1 degenerate ,earl ,,grey1 the rank ,tory ,,dictator1 alias ,renegade ,whig1 ,earl ,,derby1 or such a loud1 noisy ,declaimer1 as ,sir ,e4 ,bully ,lytton1 ,m4,p4 ,this ,hertfordshire ,baronet has taken so prominent a part in the play of ,,reform1 in the character of 8,,the ,,renegade--an ,,english ,,liberal10 that it becomes a duty to briefly criticize the performance4 ,if there is one spectacle more humiliating1 or one sight sadder than another1 it is that of beholding a man of letters1 and of unquestionable ability1 laboriously using his talents as a cloak of maliciousness1 and ungratefully reviling that democracy which gave him bread1 and raised him to power4 8,et tu1 ,brute60 ,why1 a more grossly insulting1 unpatriotic speech never issued from the lips of the most rabid ,tory6 ,can it be possible that 8,,england ,,and ,,the ,,english0 was written by the 8,poverty and ,passion0 ,orator8 ,,quantum ,,mutatus6 8,how is the gold become dim6 ,how is the most fine gold changed60 ,how unlike that ,bulwer who discoursed so eloquently of the rights of man--of man as a greater name than ,president1 or ,king6 ,from my youth up1 ,bulwer was my beau ideal2 he is now my realization of perfidy and tergiversation1 and before such an elaborate sham1 even the star of ,disraeli must pale4 ,like your confrre novelist1 ,disraeli1 you have turned your back upon yourself1 and brought a slur on the literary calling4 ,you1 who began your political career by associating your name with the freedom of the newspaper from all fiscal restrictions1 end it by doing what you can to hamper and enchain it4 ,on the night of the third reading of the ,,paper ,,duty ,,repeal ,,bill1 ,may #h1 you absent yourself from the ,division1 when ,,every ,,vote was of the utmost importance to the ,finance ,minister1 though ,i am bound to add you were not alone in turning your back upon yourself1 and your speeches about giving the people education and intelligence4 ,lord ,,stanley1 with an inconsistency equally glaring1 votes for #cjj1jjj for the ,promotion of ,education1 and then evades the ,repeal ,bill ,division by flight6 ,i prefer ,,disraeli',s1 and ,,adderley',s1 and ,,pakington',s adverse vote to such mean1 pusillanimous ,absentees1 and ,patrons of ,educational ,institutes1 as ,lord ,,stanley1 the ,member for ,king's ,lynn1 ,sir ,robert ,,peel1 the ,member for ,geneva1 and the immaculate ,,john ,,arthur ,,roebuck1 #ag the stern guardian of ,political ,purity4 ,,stroud will rid itself of ,,horsman1 and the ,metropolitan constituencies of ,,finsbury1 ,,st4 ,,marylebone1 ,,southwark1 and ,,westminster1 will have something not very complimentary to whisper to ,mr4 ,,duncombe1 ,mr4 ,,james1 and ,sir ,de ,,lacy ,,evans1 who absented themselves from the ,division1 and to ,sir ,,charles ,,napier1 who voted with the ,noes4 ,if ,,liskeard favours the absence of ,mr4 ,,osborne from a ,reform ,bill1 compared with which a #f franchise is as nothing in the scale of moral value1 it is time this ,cornish borough was disfranchised4 ,the honourable member for ,,oldham1 ,i regret to notice1 has a legitimate excuse for his absence1 but what can be said of his colleague1 the son of ,,cobbett1 voting against ,free ,trade in ,intelligence and ,ingenuity1 voting for imposing an oppressive and restrictive tax of upwards of a million1 on an article which is just as essential to the circulation of knowledge1 as iron rails are to the progress of a locomotive4 ,in glancing over the ,division list1 ,ayes1 #bai1 ,noes1 #baj1 ,i was glad to notice ,,birmingham',s indefatigable and respected ,representative1 ,,william ,,scholefield1 ,,esq41 among the ,ayes2 but where was the staid and 8eminent0 member1 ,john ,bright1 on this particular night8 ,what6 ,,the ,,tribune of the ,people to slope away on a field night like this6 ,not even to pair6 ,why ,,assume there would be no fight on the third reading8 ,had the vote been as decisive as on the second reading1 ,lord ,derby1 with all his ill-concealed jealousy of the rising influence of ,mr4 ,,gladstone1 and his antipathy to a cheap ,press1 would not have ventured on so desperate a game as the backer of the ,limerick game cock4 ,the ,rupert of ,debate was far too wily a tactician to overlook this narrow ,party victory1 this dwindling of the ,ayes from #ec 7#bde against #aib7 to #i1 this narrow squeak1 this1 in effect1 desertion to the enemy4 ,there is not the shadow of a doubt the wretched ,,nine encouraged the wily strategist in his dangerous game of ,,usurping the privileges of the ,commons1 and reviving the ominous cry of #ahcb1 8,,what ,,use ,,is ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,lords80 ,observe1 far be it from me to comment with severity on the sayings and doings of the brilliant ,quaker4 ,far be it from me to notice affronts which ,i set down to exuberance of arrogance1 often seen in men who have raised themselves from an obscure position to a front rank4 ,i would much rather dwell on ,mr4 ,bright's eminent services in the ,people's cause4 ,who was the chief ,orator at the great ,league ,meetings1 #ahdc-de8 ,who so captivated by his earnest style8 ,fifteen years have elapsed1 and again ,i have listened to ,mr4 ,bright's persuasive words4 ,his speech at ,st4 ,martin's ,hall1 ,may #aeth1 #ahfj1 was a master-piece1 and1 despite a cold1 a most animated1 yet almost solemn appeal4 ,i will quote a sentence1 which1 who that loves his country will gainsay8 8,you boast of your love of freedom1 your newspapers fill columns every day with the details of what men are doing in other parts of the world--some in overthrowing1 some in building up noble fabrics of human liberty4 ,let me beseech you that1 whilst you are observing what is being done ,,abroad with an intense and increasing interest1 never for a single moment forget what is being done1 and what it is your duty to do1 ,,at ,,home40 ,mr4 ,bright's reception by the great meeting of some three thousand persons was indeed an ovation1 not 8a roomfull of ,london mob10 7as the ,times insolently says71 but of an indignant people4 ,as in the days of ,,kean1 8the pit rose at him10 at the close of an inciting yet moderate speech1 of one hour's duration4 8,i exhort the people of ,england--you who are here present to-night--all who shall read my words to-morrow1 ,i exhort them to make this a great question4 ,your fathers would have made it a great question3 they would have maintained1 and did maintain their rights2 and you are recreant and unworthy children of theirs if you surrender them in your generation40 ,what cares ,earl ,derby1 with his fifty proxies1 whether he throws the country into inextricable confusion8 #ai ,what cares a haughty aristocrat for ,mr4 ,gladstone8 ,his great superiority of intellect--his undaunted courage--his noble conscientiousness1 are so many thorns in his side1 and it is clear that certain members of both ,houses1 and envious ,,ex-,chancellors1 7as ,disraeli1 or that renegade sinecurist1 ,spring ,rice1 ,lord ,monteagle--a servant of the ,crown1 yet working against the ,crown--with an office of #b1jjj as ,comptroller of the ,exchequer1 money wrung from a heavily taxed ,public7 dislike our honest ,finance ,minister4 ,need ,i remind you the genius ,,mr4 ,,gladstone has displayed as a ,financier is a crime in their eyes4 ,to drive the ,,state ,coach at all hazards1 what cares ,,lord ,,derby if the wheels of his chariot knock down the great ,commoner8 ,what does such a titled usurper care for offering gross insults to the ,,chancellor ,,of ,,the ,,exchequer8 ,to ,,obstruct1 to offer every impediment to the spread of knowledge by means of the ,penny ,,newspaper--that great political ,intelligence--is the delight of this chieftain and his retainers4 ,you then turn round and most insolently taunt the ,poor with their want of knowledge and improvidence1 with their hazy and uncertain political ideas4 ,you tempt the poor man with bribes1 and complain of his dependence in his exercise of the ,franchise1 and contemptuously enquire 8what will he do with it80 ,i know of no dishonour1 no meanness to be compared with this4 ,you are astute enough in diverting attention from the ,,reform ,bill by unfriendly criticisms on ,,napoleon1 and by the distraction of ,foreign ,affairs4 ,you are not ,members for ,nice or ,savoy4 ,to annoy our ,,ally and impede his policy1 the rights and liberties of ,,englishmen are to be shelved4 ,why this excessive anxiety about our ,foreign neighbours to the neglect of ,,home8 ,i can only glance at the curious tone of this cynical speech4 ,no doubt the delivery of this harangue was striking enough1 but a roar is certainly not a melodious sound4 ,the effect of the oration though clothed in glittering phraseology was entirely lost by the jerking mode of its delivery4 ,such a dogmatical outcry ,i never heard4 ,it resembled the noise of some furious mastiff1 and no wonder the loud barking drove despairing ,members into the lobby4 ,and this wretched declamation ,lord ,b4 ,manners calls a brilliant and magnificent oration4 ,there was a time when ,mr4 ,bulwer could see no evil in a large increase of the constituency1 nor any danger in the ignorance1 credulity1 and excitableness of the working classes4 ,there was a time when he wished to conciliate the 8,english0 with fulsome adulation in order to elevate himself1 now he labours to damage and damnify2 and who are his associates in adopting the not very elegant or polite terms of 8scum10 8boor40 c4 ,a ,mr4 ,adam ,black1 ,m4,p4 for ,edinburgh1 the son of a journeyman mason1 ,sidney ,smith1 a briefless ,edinburgh barrister1 ,robert ,longfield1 an ,irish barrister1 a ,q4,c4 and ,member for ,mallow1 and next a brace of ,lords1 ,robert ,cecil1 and ,robert ,montagu4 ,in coarse and vulgar slanders of the ,poor who is such an adept as the man who is a traitor to his order--the man who has himself worked for his bread8 ,none are so bitter and malignant as those who have risen from the ranks4 ,let me tell this scion of the ,house of ,rutland that the presence of ,lords in the ,house of ,commons is not desirable1 and that the days of a rapacious ,,oligarchy as the real ruling ,power in ,england are numbered4 ,why add ,insult to ,injury8 ,it is a defence full of peril1 to say in effect that your order requires the people to be deprived of their just ,rights4 ,let me tell that political incendiary ,lord ,,derby that if his ,order can only be upheld by depriving us of the ,elective ,franchise1 that if his ,order really requires this great sacrifice1 this keeping the people year after year in dense ignorance1 that if his ,order can only be preserved by ,,usurping the privileges of the ,house of ,commons1 in order to perpetuate an odious and miserable ,tax on ,intelligence1 ,i for one exclaim1 ,perish this ,order4 ,and here let me contrast the coarse1 censorious1 anti-,reform ,speeches of ,lord ,r4 ,cecil1 ,lord ,b4 ,manners1 ,mr4 ,bentinck1 and another ,aristocrat whose 8,house0 is quite as potential for evil1 though not so ancient as some noble ,lords4 ,i allude to ,john ,walter of ,bear ,wood1 and ,printing ,house ,square1 ,member for ,berkshire1 and the chief ,proprietor of the 8,times40 ,reading their libellous and defamatory speeches1 ,i thought of the dreaded advent of that day when plough boys should read and write1 ,i mused on the countryman's cry1 8,,wait ,,till ,,us ,,chaps ,,has ,,votes40 ,compare the 8,oration0 of ,sir ,e4 ,lytton1 with the well reasoned1 logical speech of ,,mr4 ,,gladstone4 8,but when he speaks1 what elocution flows1 ,soft as the fleeces of descending snows40 ,first of orators1 and master of the arts of ,rhetoric1 ,,mr4 ,,gladstone condescends to dress his arguments in no robe of tinsel finery1 no specious1 no glittering phrases are to be found1 but a plain1 common sense ,english speech that could not fail to make a deep impression on the ,house4 ,how the ,phantoms alarmists had conjured up were routed6 ,how he scattered to the winds the hobgoblins the ,terrorists had raised6 ,sprung from the ,people1 with them and of them1 the ,,chancellor ,,of ,,the ,,exchequer is too noble minded and just to satirize the ,poor because they are poor4 ,i will quote his words3 8,sir4--,i don't admit that the working man1 regarded as an individual1 is less worthy of the suffrage than any other class4 ,i don't admit the charges of corruption from the ,report of a ,committee of the ,house of ,lords4 ,i don't believe that the working men of this country are possessed of a disposition to tax their neighbours and exempt themselves1 nor do ,i acknowledge for a moment that schemes of socialism1 of communism1 of republicanism1 or any other ideas at variance with the laws and constitution of the ,realm are prevalent and popular among them40 7,hear1 hear47 ,but ,i forget4 ,the ,field day is drawing near1 and you will soon be in the thick of the ,battle6 #bb 8,yet once more let me look upon the scene20 ,let me call to mind my first to the ,field of ,waterloo1 wrapt in a crimson flood of light1 on a beautiful summer's evening in #ahei4 ,standing upon this celebrated ,plain1 8this place of skulls1 ,the grave of ,france1 the deadly ,waterloo60 who can forget the heroic deeds of that never to be forgotten ,field8 ,traversing that ,plain where united ,nations drew the sword1 and where our ,countrymen especially triumphed1 who cannot sympathize with the dying ,english ,king1 who on being told that it was the #ahth of ,june1 exclaimed 8,that was a glorious day for ,england60 ,but ,,peace has her victories not less renowned than ,war4 ,and ,i hasten to review some specialities in a ,home contest on which so much is at stake2 in my notes on ,st4 ,marylebone nothing has struck me more than the high degree of speciality which attaches to this ,crown ,living4 ,,lancing in ,,sussex1 my native village1 of which my ,father was for many years ,,vicar1 in ,ecclesiastical language is termed a 8,,peculiar10 and certainly ,st4 ,marylebone might take the same title4 ,the ,,clergy in this1 as in every other ,parish1 stand on a vantage ground1 and1 if ,i might venture to speak a few words1 ,i would counsel them to vote for this ,act1 and advocate such ,,nurseries of ,intelligence and virtue as ,public ,news and ,recreation ,rooms1 and to recommend the rate paying part of their congregations to do the same4 ,it would be very unwise to separate yourselves from the only feasible plan for the innocent recreation and instruction of the ,people1 and what have the working clergy to fear from ,books or ,newspapers8 ,is it wise in the #aith century of the ,christian era to proclaim openly that you dare not encounter the rivalship of places set apart for intellectual gratification and amusement8 ,is it not well occasionally to ask yourselves whether the common people hear you gladly8 and if your words contain the food1 or the medicine which meets the great necessities of toiling hearts4 ,you have vainly preached prohibitions and restrictions1--you have hurled spiritual thunderbolts with little or no effect4 ,stand upon the steps of the ,churches1 and see who comes out4 ,is the working man there8 ,there are clearly faults on both sides4 ,he loves not the ,church4 ,the ,church has not done its duty4 ,you must constrain1 tempt1 8compel0 him to enter4 ,you must manage to attract and draw him1 and above all you must learn to preach ,freedom of ,thought1 ,,unity and ,,christian ,,equality4 ,believe me it would be politic on your part to review the past1 and do what you can1 to ameliorate the condition of the masses by gladly availing yourselves of this ,act4 ,that is a sad day for the ,gospel and the ,church when a ,plan for the ,improvement of the ,people is called 8secular10 and not sufficiently religious to be urged from the ,pulpit3 the ,bishop of ,,sierra ,,leone in his ,sermon at ,st4 ,marylebone ,church drew an appalling picture of 8#a1cjj millions of ,idolaters10 and spoke of the duty of teaching the ,nations1 by spreading abroad the light of the ,gospel4 ,that obligation cannot be questioned1 but who can say there are not ,,idols of ,,sectarianism and ,,caste in our own country8 ,who can say there are not unhappy ,,divisions1 and a want of ,,christian ,,uniformity8 ,and who can deny the ,idol worship of ,,lisson ,,grove8 ,talk of the dark places of the earth1 where can more devoted worshippers of ,,bacchus or of ,mammon be found than in this collection of ,towns1 called ,,london8 ,,here are ,idols as real1 sacrifices as hideous and mischievous as any in a heathen land4 ,i can understand the opposition of the ,romanists to this gracious ,act4 ,the ,romish system cannot bear the light of intelligence3 ,priests of that faith don't want their people to know too much1 or to get as high as the generalities of history1 or the speculations of philosophy1 but ,,you1 the ,clergy of the ,church of ,england1 that ,church which will stand or fall1 as it meets the requirements of this progressive age1 have no interest whatever in keeping the ,key of ,knowledge to yourselves4 ,recollect ,st4 ,marylebone has a disgrace to retrieve1 a character to redeem4 ,believe me it is a discredit to your large ,parish to be without a ,public ,library4 ,vote for the adoption of this ,act1 and you reduce the ,poor rate1 you reduce crime1 and simplify the policeman's duty1 and above all you bridge over the gulf that separates classes4 ,your cordial sympathy cannot be withheld from a ,proposal of this description4 8,how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings1 that publisheth ,,peace60 ,you who promulgate 8,,peace on earth1 ,,good ,,will ,,towards ,,men10 cannot carelessly regard this beneficent project4 ,you cannot be more usefully engaged than in promoting a scheme that enlarges the means of instruction1 and widens the field of economical and sanitary science4 ,your senses cannot be quite dazzled by the pomps and vanities of exclusive ,rifle ,corps1 trained to fire at imaginary foes4 ,you cannot allow this fair land to be invaded by an enemy so real and fatal as ,,ignorance4 ,you will not forget what it is that makes one man wiser1 or more virtuous than another1 and what it is that constitutes the difference between one man and another8 ,you well know what it is that makes them what they are1 good or evil1 useful or not4 ,you well know that it is ,,education which makes the great difference in mankind4 #bd ,you are too sagacious to slight1 or separate yourselves from the only feasible1 enduring plan for the innocent ,,recreation and instruction of the people4 ,you are aware that all work and no innocent ,,amusement1 has been productive of the worst results4 ,you are aware that ,music is a powerful agent in the promotion of refinement and civilization1 and that after a long day of toil1 a man has need of relaxations other than books4 ,knowing this1 you will1 ,i hope1 gladly respond to the appeal1 and strengthen the hands of ,st4 ,margaret and ,st4 ,john4 8,the bells of time are ringing changes fast6 ,grant1 ,,lord6 that each fresh peal may usher in ,an ,era of advancement60 ,i have said ,st4 ,marylebone is a peculiar ,crown living2 with a ,baronet for a ,crown ,churchwarden4 ,may ,i ask the reason why the ,rector never takes the chair at ,vestry ,meetings8 ,and if not in me too curious1 does the ,bishop of ,london approve of a ,clerk in ,orders being ,preacher1 ,parish ,clerk1 and ,sexton8 ,and whether the ,rev4 official pockets the ,surplice fees as parson1 clerk1 and sexton8 ,this triple conjunction of offices is peculiar1 and no doubt economic1 but it wants reforming altogether4 ,such an industrious clerk as ,mr4 ,braithwaite1 might be supposed to have some influence4 ,but he roughly tells me that he has not any1 has never heard1 nor wishes to know1 anything of ,mr4 ,ewart's ,act4 ,i am surprised the ,district ,rector of ,st4 ,mary1 ,mr4 ,gurney1 and also the ,incumbent of ,all ,saints1 ,margaret ,street1 should have received a volunteer with so little courtesy4 ,had ,i been engaged in devising some evil1 instead of an enduring benefit to their ,parish1 ,i could not have been more cavalierly treated4 ,i do not say arrogance is confined to ,,priests4 ,i have met with ,,popes out of ,rome1 who in the garb of ,,friends1 or ,,free ,,traders1 have much ,pride1 but little ,humility1 and whose utter want of common courtesy is in strong contrast to our ,old ,nobility4 ,perhaps the most offensive display of intolerance was that of a ,rt4 ,rev4 ,ratepayer1 residing in ,queen ,ann ,st41 whose ,episcopal ire was roused on being asked to aid in setting forward the ,libraries ,act4 #bf;a ,not a very unreasonable request4 ,a ,bishop who daily1 ,i suppose1 reads in his ,prayer ,book the ,collect for ,,peace1 8,trusting in ,,thy ,defence1 we may not fear the ,power of ,,any adversaries10 is so alarmed1 or attaches so little meaning to the words of the ,prayer1 that he subscribes handsomely to the ,chichester ,rifle ,corps1 and yet betrays no fear of the invasion of an enemy1 more dangerous and to be dreaded than the ,french1 is certainly not an agreeable study3 8tantne animis clestibus ir80 ,dwells such rancour in heavenly minds8 ,long years ago when3 8,my thoughts were happier oft than ,i10 ,lord ,grey warned the ,bishops 8to set their ,house in order40 ,if the ,church is not reformed from ,,within1 she will be reformed from ,,without1 with a vengeance4 ,it cannot be denied the sentiments of ,,festus are held by attached members of the ,church of ,england4 8,let not a hundred humble pastors starve1 ,in this or any land of ,christendom1 ,while one or two impalaced1 mitred1 throned1 ,and banqueted1 burlesque if not blaspheme ,the holy penury of the ,,son ,,of ,,god40 #bf;b ,the ,rector of ,christchurch1 ,lisson ,grove1 lately advocated the claims of the ,diocesan ,church ,building ,society4 ,no doubt it is time that something should be done for the ,poor of this ,district1 but ,i am clearly of opinion that it would be wise to postpone any efforts in this direction1 until the cheap experiment of ,free ,libraries had been tried in ,st4 ,marylebone4 ,such an ,institution in ,lisson ,grove would to the ,ojibbeways especially be a ,home of ,refuge1 or what ,i should term a ,,school ,,church4--,good ,books are the best of ,missionaries4 ,parcels of hundred volumes each at five pounds per parcel1 can be purchased of ,c4 ,mudie1 #eaa1 ,new ,oxford ,street2 but ,,curates are not so easily obtained4 ,no ,institutions1 no contrivance1 no expenditure1 can multiply this sacred crop4 ,as one of the ,laity of the ,bishop of ,london's ,diocese ,i own ,i demur to additional 8,buildings0 unless ,i have some voice in reference to the ,incumbents1 c4 ,it is time the ,laity 8assisted0 8,parochial ,extension0 in other ways besides money contributions4 ,why do the ,bishops and dignified ,clergy persist in ,,ignoring ,laymen in their ,ecclesiastical arrangements8 ,why regard them as mere machines for extracting gold or silver8 ,before ,i can reply to the ,bishop of ,london's ,letter to the ,laity of the ,diocese1 ,i respectfully request a satisfactory answer to this question4 ,will your ,lordship aid the ,laity in their just claim to a seat in ,convocation8 ,the ,laity are not excluded from ,convocation in the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church of the ,united ,states1 and if the laity of the ,church of ,england are to be rigidly excluded1 ,church ,building appeals will command little1 or no attention4 ,the ,laymen of #ahfj are not the unlettered men of twenty years since1 and to deny them any deliberation as to the qualification of ,curates or ,incumbents1 reading or preaching capabilities1 appears to me very bad policy on the part of our ,ecclesiastical superiors4 ,it would ill become me to set up as an ,episcopus ,episcoporum1 believing1 however1 as ,i do that this assembling of the ,laity and ,clergy would tend to ,christian ,,unity ,i cannot resist urgently insisting on this ,church ,reform4 ,speaking for my own order the ,laity are hardly dealt with6 ,how many real grievances they must now silently endure1 without the slightest power to remove or abate them6 ,how much which relates to discipline1 and the conducting the services is diametrically opposed to the wishes of the ,laity6 ,how often has the length of the ,morning ,service been objected to4 ,only the other day ,lord ,,ebury did what he could to shorten the services1 but in vain2 there seems a superstitious reverence for repetition1 for retaining certain phrases which must strike high1 low1 and broad ,churchmen as objectionable4 ,the ,prayer for both ,houses of ,parliament under our 8most religious and gracious ,queen0 is truly admirable1 and how any ,lords ,spiritual and ,temporal can join in such a comprehensive petition and yet vote against a great ,educational boon like the repeal of the last tax on ,knowledge ,i for one cannot understand4 ,but in this ,prayer ,i demur to applying the same term 8most gracious0 to the ,queen1 and to the ,,king ,,of ,,kings ,,and ,,lord ,,of ,,lords4 ,who can deny that damp1 ill-ventilated1 or icy cold ,churches1 are not fruitful causes of disease8 ,i attended the ,sons of the ,clergy ,festival1 under the ,dome of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral on the #bcrd ,may4 ,it was a warm summer's day1 but owing to the intense cold rushing currents of air1 ,i with others was obliged to leave4 ,people were shivering with cold--and this in the #aith century6 ,a boasted scientific age6 ,a few years ago ,i was at ,st4 ,paul's ,sons of the ,clergy ,festival1 and was then compelled to leave on account of the bitter cold4 ,i wrote on that occasion a polite note to ,dean ,milman1 in which ,i urged that some means of warming the ,cathedral should be adopted4 ,i received no reply2 and this is not surprising1 for a more ,judaic ,high ,priest--a very ,caiphas cannot be found than ,henry ,hart ,milman4 ,why there might have been some excuse for thus trifling with the ,public health at the time my ,grand-father was ,prebendary of this ,cathedral1 because the appliances of science were not in his day known4 ,let me tell this supercilious ,priest that a curious public are enquiring of what use are ,,deans and ,,canons with their thousands a year1 if they do not even take the trouble to make their ,churches comfortable8 ,it is very discreditable to the ,dean and ,canons that such beggarly parsimony should year after year prevail4 ,why not ,,free ,,access to this noble ,edifice8 ,why this miserable ,clerical impost of #ds #b;d8 ,why it is an ,education of itself to survey 8until thy mind hath got by heart ,its eloquent proportions40 8,the ,dome--the vast and wondrous ,dome10 ,sir ,christopher ,wren's rare masterpiece1 of whom it was said1 8,si monumentum requiris1 ,circurnspice10 8if you want his monument1 look around40 ,this glorious ,temple1 which stands alone for grandeur1 worthiest of ,,god1 the ,holy and the ,true1 deserves a better fate than to be starved by its ,priests on the pretext of a false and wretched economy4 ,every thing that ministers to comfort is seen in a nobleman's mansion1 shall ,,god',s ,,house alone be dishonoured by such paltry and mean frugality8 ,who can deny the attendance of invalids at ,matins1 with litany and communion1 is not itself an ordeal1 but to combine this length of ,service with a ,sermon of an hour's duration is an infliction of no ordinary character4 ,i do not say that when ,,paul has served for a text1 that ,,plato or ,,epictetus have preached1 but who shall say the ,preacher does not too often exhibit himself and his crude ideas1 and ,,not the ,bible's4 8,it is this text of mine10 that too often proceeds from the lips of ostentatious ,preachers4 ,it is unreasonable to expect that #bj1jjj clergymen of the ,church of ,england1 are qualified as preachers1 shall be able1 one and all1 at least twice a week1 to talk or read something that will command attention for fifty or sixty minutes8 ,why not some ,,uniformity in the ,prayer1 or no ,prayer1 before sermon8 ,why not some authorized version of psalms and hymns to be sung in all the churches8 ,why this diversity8 ,the layman has a right to say to the ,bishop1 if you forbid me to take any part in the government and discipline of the ,church1 ,i cannot contribute towards the 8extension0 of such injustice4 ,you nominate or appoint a clerk1 who ought to know how to read2 yet how few are capable of ,,merely ,,reading the ,service1 ,i will not say with propriety alone1 but with common decency4 ,who has not 8suffered some10 to use an ,american phrase1 by the deplorable deficiencies in pronunciation1 and accentuation8 ,who with any ear for fit cadence1 is not pained to be obliged to listen to the monotonous whining of the simple and beautiful ,ritual of the ,church of ,england8 ,it is from the reading desk and the pulpit that boys and girls are told they will hear their mother tongue in all its purity4 ,but is this true8 ,it is not only not true1 but the very reverse of truth4 ,the forms of ,prayer and ,thanksgivings1 as literary compositions1 are perfect specimens of style4 ,what ,english prose will venture to challenge a comparison with the dignity and melody of the ,collects8 ,and yet1 remember1 the musical and rhetorical excellence of the ,liturgy1 consists chiefly of translations from the ,latin6 ,surely such persuasive1 such affecting petitions to ,heaven deserve a better fate1 than to be murdered by ruthless and ignorant men who have missed their vocation4 ,some mouth and mutter1 some rant and roar1 others simper and squeak1 and not a few read the ,service with the same apathy as an animal chewing the cud4 ,yet the ,laity of the ,diocese of ,london cannot interfere1 cannot even hint to such readers they had better retire4 ,this overgrown diocese contains two millions and a half of inhabitants4 ,it is divided into four hundred and thirty-three parishes1 with eight hundred and fifty-five clergy4 ,common sense dictates dividing the ,diocese of ,london4 ,why not a ,bishop of ,,westminster8 ,yet not one word can laymen utter on such topics1 in any deliberative church assembly1 and ,i submit the time has come when all this must be ,,reformed1 and when the ,diocese of ,london must be at ,,unity in itself4 #cj ,it was my intention to have said a few words about ,lord ,john ,russell's scheme of ,reform1 but ,i can only just glance with some pity on his poor little forlorn1 tender ,bill4 ,i can only view it as an instalment of better things to come4 ,the ignoring the claims of #aj or #ab ,lodgers in great ,london parishes especially1 would be an act of extreme injustice1 and ,i hope in ,committee1 the ,foreign ,secretary will adopt this clause to be proposed by ,mr4 ,james4 ,my extreme anxiety to carry the ,libraries ,act in ,st4 ,marylebone1 must atone for any repetitions of last warning words to the ,ratepayers4 ,believe me the enemies of ,literature1 of innocent1 intellectual recreation1 are too astute to tolerate fair1 or indeed any1 arguments in favour of this most hopeful ,legislative enactment4 ,they are well aware that reason is too strong for nonsense in the long run1 and that if this wise proposal is argued on its own merits1 and not hashed or mixed up with ,parochial extravagance1 or misgovernment1 and other extraneous matter1 that the ground on which they stand will sink from beneath them4 ,they tell you 8this is not the time to agitate the question10 and that it is 8inexpedient at present10 and will weary you with some unintelligible jargon about voting against the ,act1 but at the same time agreeing to the 8general principle60 ,such miserable1 specious excuses are invariably set up in all cases which will not bear the force of argument4 ,the right time with such mean obstructives1 let me assure you1 will ,,never arrive4 ,once again ,i beg to remind you that a majority of ,,two-,,thirds of the ,ratepayers present at the ,meeting settles the question of rejecting or adopting the ,act1 and as by a strange blunder no ,poll can be demanded1 ,i entreat you to be early in your attendance1 and give a plumper for this truly benevolent measure4 ,let me glance for a moment at the ,requisition to the ,overseers1 signed by ,his ,serene ,highness ,prince ,edward of ,saxe ,weimar1 by the ,minister of ,st4 ,mark's1 by ,lord ,radstock1 four ,ladies1 the ,editors of the ,athenum1 and ,lancet1 a ,rabbi1 or ,professor1 ,doctors of ,medicine1 and ,surgeons2 also by ,mr4 ,churchwarden ,carr1 ,vestrymen1 and other respectable ,ratepayers1 including ,ernest de ,bunsen1 ,abbey ,lodge1 ,joseph ,grote ,esq41 ,gloucester ,place1 ,s4 ,h4 ,harlowe ,esq41 ,north ,bank1 and ,r4 ,h4 ,collyer1 ,m4,d41 ,alpha ,road4 ,strange meeting of names exemplifying as it does1 that ,,unity of design1 on which the ,chaplain of ,lincoln's ,inn so delights to dwell2 it is a paper of no ordinary interest4 ,let me gladly acknowledge subscriptions towards defraying the expenses of promoting this great social measure4 ,mr4 ,nicholay1 #ajs4 ,edwin1 ,james ,esq41 ,m4,p4 #a #as41 ,ernest ,hart ,esq41 ,f4,r4,c4,s4 #ajs4 ,sir ,francis ,h4 ,goldsmid ,bart1 ,m4,p4 #a #as41 ,mr4 ,michell1 #es41 ,dakin ,co41 #ajs41 ,w4 ,j4 ,fox ,esq41 ,m4,p4 #es41 ,j4 ,grote ,esq41 #ajs41 and ,s4 ,h4 ,harlowe ,esq4 #es4 ,gentlemen1 ,as friends of ,progress1 of more ,intellectual ,light1 and knowing the bitter fruits of ,ignorance1 ,i trust you will endeavour to be ,,early at the ,meeting4 ,,bis ,,dat ,,qui ,,cito ,,dat4 ,i entreat you to bear in mind that a small rate for ,,libraries or ,,museums1 or ,,news ,,rooms1 if tax it can fairly be termed1 is like the quality of mercy1 8it is twice bless'd2 ,it blesseth him that gives1 and him that takes40 8,whatsoever thy hand findeth to do1 do it with thy might40 ,let those memorable words1 8,she hath done what she could10 be applied to you1 and what ought to be done for ,st4 ,marylebone1 do at once4 8,the night cometh1 when no man can work10 and there is no knowledge1 or wisdom1 or project in the grave4 ,allow me to offer a few suggestions as to the conduct of the ,meeting4 ,no person can take the chair as a right4 ,a ,churchwarden1 ex-officio claiming the chair to the prejudice of the ,rector1 is indeed an anomaly4 ,you must elect a ,chairman1 uninfluenced by ,party spirit1 for on your choice of the right man very much will depend4 ,i have known ,churchwardens1 chairmen of ,library ,meetings who had never read the ,act1 and knew or cared nothing of its scope and tendency1 and yet in the shallow guise of 8friends of the ,poor10 and to gain a little fleeting applause1 have not scrupled1 to get out of the difficulty to misrepresent or abuse it1 or condemn it with faint praise4 ,gentlemen1 ,i have much pleasure in stating that the ,resolution will probably be moved by that earnest friend of the working classes ,w4 ,j4 ,,fox ,esq41 and that it will be seconded or supported by the ,,rev4 ,j4 ,m4 ,,bellew4 ,to hear two such advocates of ,libraries for the ,people is of itself a treat of no ordinary kind4 ,the great anti-corn law speeches of ,mr4 ,fox are not forgotten1 and ,i am sure the honourable member for ,oldham on so congenial a topic as the ,instruction of ,all1 will not fail to please4 ,the crowded ,church of ,st4 ,mark attests ,,mr4 ,,bellew',s well deserved popularity1 and that neglected art among clergymen--the art of ,,reading1 the reverend gentleman has attained to perfection4 ,i could not but think as ,mr4 ,bellew read the twelfth chapter of ,st4 ,paul's ,epistle to the ,romans1 that it would be well for the ,church if there were more such splendid ,readers1 and eloquent ,preachers1 and if in the ,ordering of ,deacons1 the ,bishop put the question to every ,candidate for ,orders1 8,can you read80 or 8,have you passed your examination in the ,art of ,reading80 ,to opponents ,i would say are you content to be taxed #gj1jjj a year for ,expenditure at the ,workhouse8 ,at the utmost a #bjjj ,library ,rate would be required from the large body of ratepayers1 which is not worth consideration1 and which would be saved over and over again in the improved habits of the people4 ,exercise then a little commercial foresight1 and you will perceive that it is a good investment and will prove an economical ,institution4 ,i should like to see the ,proposal to open to the people the portals to enter into communion with the good1 the witty1 and the wise1 carried by a unanimous vote4 ,at the recent ,birmingham ,meeting1 ,mr4 ,gameson opposed1 but could scarcely obtain a hearing1 for the #aejj ,burgesses were in no humour to listen to his worn out1 used up fallacies2 and to ,mr4 ,dawson was left the not difficult task of reply1 who in the course of an amusing speech said that 8whenever he could hear of a rate that was to be spent for a good purpose1 he took as much pleasure in advocating it as in tickling up a lazy ox with a goad40 ,the ,mayor1 ,thomas ,lloyd ,esq41 said that nothing could possibly be more gratifying to him during his term of office than to have presided over a ,meeting at which the ,public ,libraries' ,act had been adopted4 #cd ,gentlemen1 ,i am desirous you should notice this amended ,act1 under which ,parishes can take a vote1 provides not only for ,,libraries and ,,museums1 but also for ,,news ,,rooms1 and that the general management is vested in ,ratepayers1 8not less than ,three nor more than ,nine10 appointed by the ,vestry1 and that one third of such ,commissioners go out of office yearly--,i hope the ,vestry will not select the nine from their own body1 but will appoint at least four ,ratepayers who are ,,not ,vestrymen4 ,a local paper1 prone to balderdash and babblement1 noted for its rigmarole1 loose1 hyperbolical language1 indulges in a jeremiad about the want of a ,museum4 ,it seems1 according to this mendacious journal1 that the great hardship of walking from ,lisson ,grove1 or the district of ,st4 ,mary to the ,british ,museum in ,great ,russell ,street1 or to ,kensington is 8desolating hearts that might be bright10 and that setting up a ,museum in the wastes of ,marylebone by 8,government friendship10 or expense1 is 8unhappily a universal want2 a want that private enterprise cannot meet10 and then with some insolent rant about ,prince ,albert1 and 8the evil tendencies of our ,parish ,senators10 this low class ,marylebone ,mercury advises a run on the ,british ,museum ,natural ,history collection1 and so 8preventing our neighbours from ,,absorbing all that is to be had40 ,well for the consolation of this miserable1 mean print1 and the languishing and desolate in heart1 pining for a 8splendid museum at somebody else's expense10 ,i would prescribe the procuring the ,libraries' ,act for 8promoting the establishment of ,free ,public ,libraries and ,,museums in ,parishes40 ,if a ,museum is a 8want0 in this ,parish1 which1 with the proximity of the ,national ,collection and ,kensington ,museum1 ,i deny2 you have only to adopt the ,act4 ,but ,i earnestly recommend the not attempting too much at once4 ,,lending ,libraries and ,,news ,rooms are the great want1 and ,,not ,museums4 ,why will ,,mr4 ,,roupell1 ,m4,p41 in advocating a ,south ,london ,museum persist in ,,ignoring ,mr4 ,ewart's ,museum's ,act8 ,why this anxiety to rob the ,national ,museum8 ,why this whining for government aid8 ,adopt the ,libraries ,act1 if you really require a ,museum for ,south ,london2 but you want ,news ,rooms open to all comers1 not ,museums4 ,and here ,i am constrained to remark that ,penny ,journals are not always vehicles of instruction in any sense of the term4 ,i regret there are not a few ,editors in this great ,metropolis who have a special aptitude for lowering and degrading ,journalism4 ,take up the ,,daily ,,telegraph--to talk of the 8,,moral tone0 of this paper is nothing less than ineffable bosh4 ,its exaggerated1 ethical articles1 are nauseous in the extreme4 ,let me only refer to the case of the 8ingenuous0 ,,eugenie ,,plummer1 recently convicted of perjury4 ,with ,judaic malevolence the ,telegraph from the first displayed great anxiety to criminate ,mr4 ,hatch1 who is now acquitted by an impartial ,jury4 ,the desire to pander to an impure taste1 was only equalled by the base attempt to crush an innocent clergyman1 cote qui cote2 and even after the conviction of the precocious1 marble hearted girl1 7who deserved a sound flogging as the only punishment she could feel17 this cheap and nasty ,print is at its dirty work again in assuming guilt1 and asserting that the unfortunate gentleman 8did not behave like an innocent man40 #ce ,serjeant ,,shee',s is very dirty money1 but this ,,telegraph',s is worse4 ,it lowers a noble vocation1 and sinks it to ,,pressgangism4 ,the critic of the ,daily ,telegraph has a difficult task1 for its nauseous1 maudlin effusions1 when wishing to be mighty fine1 have a bewildering effect4 ,its 8,no meaning puzzles more than wit40 ,the ,editor is evidently a nice man1 with very nasty ideas4 ,not the ,holywell ,street ,press1 not the most prurient pages of ,romance1 can equal the skimble skamble stuff of its virtuous indignation articles4 ,the death of ,lady ,noel ,byron1 the widow of the great ,poet1 is a case in point3-- 8,the creature's at his dirty work again10 ,the discretion of an ,editor is never better employed than in steering clear of the idle gossip and calumnies of the day1 and if there ever was a name that should be tenderly uttered1 it is that of ,george ,gordon ,noel ,byron4 ,it is a gross violation of ,editorial duty to bespatter1 to assail with infamy1 the memory of a ,poet1 only thirty-seven years of age1 who accomplished so much1 and whose early death eclipsed the gaiety of nations6 8,ruins of years--though few1 yet full of fate30 ,why the ,,childe will live as long as the language endures3 8,not in the air shall these my words disperse10 ,now who are you1 ,mr4 ,editor of the ,telegraph1 and of what faith1 to impiously dare to scan the thoughts1 and discern the intents of the human heart8 ,that power to scan belongs to ,,god only4 ,you are told1 on ,divine authority1 which no ,christian disputes1 to 8,,judge ,,not10 and yet you do not scruple to assert that ,byron 8was driven from his country1 and deserved the doom40 ,would the editor of the ,telegraph1 the writer of this censorship1 escape1 if all had their deserts8 ,why this wretched1 ,papistical jumble about the 8adoration of ,lady ,byron by the serious world10 and 8reconciliation in the grave10 and 8her prayers having been heard for her erring husband40 ,but ,i hasten to dismiss this ,pharisee of the ,telegraph1 who daily reminds us that 8,dulness is ever apt to magnify40 ,having so often discussed the advantages of ,newspaper ,reading1 it becomes a duty again to refer to such glaring misleaders as the veering ,times1 which affects to guide1 not to follow opinion4 ,the flood and ebb of public opinion is carefully marked by this unprincipled ,paper1 and to every passing breeze it trims its sails4 ,the most signal instance of the transparent dissimulation of the ,times1 is its truly hypocritical expression of its 8great regret10 because the ,lords threw out the ,repeal ,bill6 ,st4 ,james' ,square1 and ,printing ,house ,square1 have coalesced1 and the 8,heads of ,houses10 ,derby1 ,walter1 and ,co41 must now be prepared to take the consequences of their revolutionary tactics4 ,no doubt my esteemed friend1 the ,author of ,festus1 had the ,shuttlecock ,times in view when he favoured me with the ,portraiture of ,newspapers4 ,it is far too sweeping an indictment1 for the tone of the ,press generally is sound and healthy1 always excepting the misleading ,times1 the ,daily ,telegraph1 and ,morning ,advertiser4 ,i will quote ,mr4 ,bailey's clever sketch of the 8great mercantile concern40 8,i think if working men are to be led to read at all1 the ,newspaper with its ill feeling1 bad reasoning1 worse taste1 fallacious assumptions and distortions of the truth1 is about the most objectionable school in which they could be educated40 ,speaking generally1 the newspaper literature of #ahfj exhibits as much information1 and more talent than can be found in modern empty books with gilt edges1 vellum1 and morocco4 ,the ,editors of the ,london ,journals1 with a few base exceptions1 nobly use their opportunities of directing public opinion4 ,no such vile journalism exists in this country as can any day be found in the ,new ,york ,herald1 a one1 or two cent daily paper1 owned and edited by the black mail levying vagabond1 and fugitive from ,scotland1 ,james ,gordon ,bennett2 a paper which does its best to fan the flame of discord1 by abusing 8the ,britishers40 ,the patriotic ,times quotes the lying ,herald as if it were a reliant organ of the ,americans1 ignoring the fact that this notorious ,print is estimated in ,new ,york as the ,satirist was in ,london4 ,it is curious that two persons1 of unenviable fame1 the ,scotchman ,bennett1 and a ,somersetshire man1 ,richard ,adams ,locke1 both of whom ,i well knew in ,new ,york1 in #ahcc1 and who both left their country for their country's good1 are always described as 8,americans40 ,the great ,moon hoax1 #ch;a 8,astronomical ,discoveries0 by ,sir ,f4 ,herschell1 at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 published in the ,new ,york ,sun1 was written by ,locke1 the degenerate ,englishman1 who the ,illustrated ,times describes as an 8,american40 ,the ,new ,york ,era1 edited and owned by ,r4 ,a4 ,locke1 and ,j4 ,g4 ,bennett's ,herald1 appeared in #ahcd4 ,arcades ambo6 ,arcadians both1 suspicious characters both1 these rival 8,american0 ,editors abused each other in no measured terms4 ,i have always held it is the worst crime the intellect can commit1 to edit such vituperative ,journals1 and it is indeed well for the community such worthless prints are few in number4 ,obscure indeed1 is the mental vision of those ,editors who cannot discern the iniquity of misleading1 instead of leading aright public opinion1 who with pens of ready writers1 strive to make the worse the better reason2 and who viewing all subjects through the spectacles of ,party1 tell us that 8white is not white1 nor black so very black40 ,talk of the ,times as the ,,leading ,journal of ,,europe6 ,if daily to utter unblushing falsehoods1 and odious calumnies1 knowing them to be such1 constitutes leadership in ,journalism1 in this sense la ,,heenan1 the ,irish ,american ,bouncer the ,times is 8,the ,champion of the ,world40 #ch;b ,ever strongest on the strongest side1 if ever there was a disengenuous untrustworthy arbiter of ,opinion1 it is this false ,oracle of ,printing ,house ,square6 ,why its leader1 #afth ,may1 on 8the most extraordinary case ever produced in a ,court of ,justice10 clearly denotes that ,i am ,,not an unjust ,judge1 in sentencing the ,times to be gibbeted as a wicked1 misleading guide4 ,observe its sudden changes of doctrine1 and how rapidly it veers from ,n4,w4 to ,s4,e4 ,now that the balance of opinion has taken a decided turn1 and there is a distinct assent to the perjury of ,eugenie1 and the innocence of her victim1 the ,times tries to mislead and insult the judgment of the public1 by representing the 8ingenuous0 ,,eugenie ,,plummer as 8the daughter of ,,respectable and wealthy parents60 ,would that such 8respectability0 were consigned to gaol1 until this 8wealthy0 ,mrs4 ,plummer paid a fine of #ajjj to ,mr4 ,hatch1 as some atonement for her neglect1 and guilty connivance4 ,now the case is closed1 and the verdict is recorded1 the ,times is 8first at last0 in making the discovery that 8nemo repente fuit turpissimus10 that no one1 especially a clergyman1 ever became lost to all sense of decency at once4 ,the 8leading0 ,journal can ,,now see clearly enough the obvious improbability1 and unreasonableness of the disgusting accusation of two girls of established precocity1 against a clergyman of good extraction1 education1 and behaviour1 who for eight years had filled a responsible situation without reproach1 and against whose conduct1 until this time1 not a charge had ever been alleged4 ,could not this 8organised hypocrisy0 the ,times 7as ,disraeli would call it7 have said all this at the first trial1 and not cried 8,i warn'd you when the event was o'er40 ,ah6 but this great ,ocean of ,print1 the ,times1 is a 8mercantile concern10 and does not keep a conscience1 and sneers and laughs at the least earnestness in the ,editorial department4 ,perhaps ,,mr4 ,,john ,,walter1 the ,times ,manager1 and ,chief ,proprietor1 by the competition of an unfettered ,press1 may find out that in ,journalism1 as in other pursuits1 8,honesty is the best policy40 ,that maxim is now utterly discredited4 ,yet even at the eleventh hour there is for such a first class moral delinquent as the ,times1 a locus penetenti1 but as a sine qu non1 the ,editor1 or literary hireling1 must abjure servility1 and disdain to become 8,a constant critic at the great man's board1 ,to fetch and carry nonsense for my ,lord40 ,and here let me for a moment glance at ,serjeant ,,shee',s speech4 ,observe this ,old ,bailey advocate is well aware of that most unfair rule of law1 which prohibits every person1 and the wife of every person1 who stands as a defendant at a criminal bar1 from giving evidence4 ,he well knew the discreditable defects in our criminal jurisprudence1 and yet felt no compunction in doing his best to blacken the character of a clergyman who is not of ,rome4 ,let me tell this ,q4,c41 who delights in desperate eases1 that as a member of that church which condemns priests to celibacy1 and consecrates the revelations of the confessional1 that confessional1 which thirty-three inexperienced ,italian girls have lately exemplified the use of1 he should have paused ere flinging dirt at priests of a purer faith4 ,the sentence of the ,criminal ,court of ,turin on ,don ,gurlino1 an unparalleled villain1 ,curate of the ,church of ,st4 ,carlo1 was ringing in his ears1 when ,serjeant ,shee deemed it an honourable discharge of his duty to try and crush an innocent man1 and load the ,ministry of the ,english ,church with undeserved censure4 ,let me tell ,serjeant ,shee he made a sufficiently bad appearance in the case of ,palmer1 the ,poisoner1 and if his ,church so instructs him1 he is badly advised4 ,let me remind him that his countryman1 ,charles ,phillips1 as ,counsel for ,courvoisier1 was disgraced for solemnly avowing his 8conscientious belief10 in the innocence of a wretch who had confessed his crime to him6 ,nor in reviewing a case in which sound jurisprudence and common sense have been so scandalously violated1 a case in which the most ignorant and illiterate jurymen1 some scarcely able to read1 and unacquainted with the laws of evidence1 are called upon to pronounce judgment1 the case of an unoffending man rigorously punished1 condemned without proof1 by the bare word1 without one corroborating circumstance1 of a precocious girl1 who not yet in her teens1 is mature and ripe enough in artifice and feminine subtilty1 illustrating what depths of duplicity exhibit themselves in children who are carefully trained up in the way they should ,,not go4 ,i am anxious to 8improve the occasion0 by criticizing the ,,bishop ,,of ,,winchester',s share in this cruel prosecution4 ,if the multitude bear false witness against their neighbour with thoughtless levity1 it is not becoming in a right reverend ,prelate to play with the fire of calumny1 or lend his ear to suspicion1 quite void of reason1 as if 8good name in man or woman were ,,not the immediate jewel of the soul40 ,of what use is a ,bishop1 with a ,princely stipend1 and a ,lordly ,castle1 if he cannot personally investigate the truth of a serious charge against a 8reverend friend and ,brother80 ,why condemn without a hearing8 ,why this eager credulity of clerical evil without some examination of the evidence8 ,why assume guilt8 ,why this hot haste to consign ,mr4 ,hatch to his ignominious fate1 the uncertainties of a most defective jurisprudence8 ,churchmen desire some ,,charity in ,shepherds of the ,sheep2 they do not indeed expect the simplicity of a ,parson ,adams1 in a ,spiritual ,lord1 but they look for an example of that charity which 8thinketh no evil10 and which 8rejoiceth in the truth40 ,what is a ,bishop but a 8tinkling cymbal10 if not endowed with moral courage to set his face like flint against vague imputations1 and ignorant prejudices8 ,the ,rt4 ,rev4 ,lord of ,farnham ,castle is energetic enough in pouncing upon1 and worrying ,deacons and ,curates1 and can deprive them of their licenses with a celerity not very edifying4 ,why not exhibit equal alacrity in enforcing the law against the ,vicar of ,camberwell1 a ,parish for thirteen years without a ,resident ,vicar8 8,dat veniam corvis1 vexat censura columbas40 ,why clip the wings of the dove1 but give the raven1 or vulture free course8 ,,mr4 ,,dalton has sent me some statistics of the ,liverpool ,lending ,libraries4 ,total number of volumes #bf1jji4 ,individuals entitled to use the ,libraries1 #h1eid4 ,number of volumes lent during the week1 ,april #ahth #ahfj1 #i1ebj4 ,the pleasure derived by the sick1 and those out of work1 in being able to borrow books to read at their own homes is constantly coming under the notice of the ,librarian4 ,a person out of employment thus writes3 8,were ,i to be deprived of the use of books from your excellent ,libraries1 my life would become only a burthen and a blank40 ,ladies and ,gentlemen1 ,my task is done1 and it is time to bid you adieu6 8,et vix sustinuit dicere lingua ,vale60 ,that word 8,farewell0 is always difficult to pronounce4 ,once again ,i beseech you to ,,reverse the decision of #ahef4 ,many anxious eyes near and far off1 are watching how you will vote on this occasion2 do not disappoint their hopes1 do not frustrate the intentions of the ,legislature6 ,liberavi animam meam4 ,i have discoursed at some length from the same text1 but ,i trust1 though unavoidably discursive1 you have not found me a tedious ,,feilde ,preacher4 ,need ,i remind you of the opportune reduction of the rates of halfpenny in the pound in the ,parish rental4 ,if you look at this question only as a ,ratepayer1 it must be gratifying to know that your money goes for ,libraries rather than for ,dungeons1 for the supply of ,books and ,newspapers1 ,,not for the support of paupers4 ,need ,i remind you how favourable to the cause ,i am feebly advocating is the fact1 that as a ,nation we are now enjoying unexampled ,prosperity and unbroken ,peace6 ,if1 as ,i have shown1 none should be entrusted with the ,franchise who cannot read or write1 do not grudge a trifling rate which would aid this great cause4 ,do not forget that a ,,rate ,,supported ,,news ,,room is a step1 nay1 a stride1 in the direction of the ,,instruction ,,of ,,all4 ,yes1 the time is propitious6 ,the course is clear before you--the race is glorious to run6 8,farewell6 a word that must be1 and hath been-- ,a sound which makes us linger2--yet--farewell60 ,not in vain shall ,i have addressed you1 if on your memories dwell some few thoughts that shall ripen into deeds2 not in vain1 if at the fast approaching ,public ,meeting the ,libraries' ,act is carried by acclamation4 ,not in vain shall ,i have written1 if ,i have induced you1 ,,not to reject this ,act6 ,,matthew ,,feilde4 #bi1 ,grove ,place1 ,lisson ,grove1 ,st4 ,marylebone4 ,,ascension ,,day1 ,may #ag1 #ahfj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,printed by ,a4 ,schulze1 #ac1 ,poland ,street4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,footnotes4 #aa ,the ,city of ,london1 the wealthiest in the world1 but not the best governed1 is destitute of a ,public ,library4 ,the babblement of ,,sidney the vain1 which in #ahee triumphed1 now ceases to amuse and the shrill screams of the ,,peacock are no longer heard4 ,if you wait for a scheme that will please the ,peacocks and the ,sidneys1 you will never do anything at all4 #ac;a ,it is not for me to say how the wisdom of the wise slumbered on this particular ,night1 7,may #bast1 ,paper ,duty ,repeal ,bill--,lords ,division74 ,what do ,i see8 ,mirabile dictu6 ,the ,earl of ,shaftesbury1 the ,premier's ,lord ,high ,admiral of the ,sees1 not to support his ,patrons on a ,field night like this is really too bad6 ,to give a vote which seriously impedes education1 and prevents the cheapening of ,school ,books and ,tracts1 is consistent in the extreme4 ,but not only is it refractory1 but ungrateful opposition on the part of ,lord ,shaftesbury4 ,a nobleman so favoured by ,lord ,palmerston as to issue his ,cong d'lire1 permission to choose a ,bishop1 and on whose fiat the ,lord ,chancellor appoints to ,livings1 ought not to have been a deserter when his vote was of so much importance4 #ac;b ,that most genial ,entertainer1 and by far the cleverest ,lecturer ever seen in ,london1 combining great talent1 with rare common sense and worldly knowledge1 ,,albert ,,smith1 now1 alas6 no more1 sent me a good humoured note a few days ago1 acknowledging 8,who is my ,neighbour80 #ae ,last ,autumn the sad want of knowledge of the elementary rules of economy among ,operatives was strikingly and ruinously displayed1 and it is obvious what a handle it affords to employers to be apathetic1 if not hostile to extending the ,franchise4 ,hence the need of 8more light40 #ag ,the ,member for ,sheffield is severe enough1 is the ,censor par excellence of small offenders--and pays full tithe of mint and anise1 but with characteristic cowardice is dumb as a dog1 has not one syllable of remonstrance against the titled ,,usurpers in the ,house of ,lords1 who would retain an iniquitous tax on the ,newspaper ,press4 #ai ,there is no vote among the ,pairs on the ,repeal of the ,paper duty that challenges more attention than that of ,,lord ,,brougham4 ,what a miserable spectacle6 ,conspicuous by his absence1 not one word1--not one syllable could ,ex-,chancellor ,brougham vouchsafe to strike off the fetters on knowledge in ,central ,england4 ,let me tell his ,lordship his ,mission speech on ,central ,africa was inopportune1 and unpatriotic1 when on that ,monday evening there was a nobler field before him in the ,house of ,lords to exert his eloquence4 ,england ,,first4 #bb ,the ,meeting will be held at #ab o'clock on ,monday1 #ahth ,june1 ,waterloo day1 at the ,literary ,institution1 #ag1 ,edward ,street1 ,portman ,square4 ,the friends of ,progress are earnestly requested to ,,come ,,early4 #bd ,the objections to the extension of education are often ludicrous2 some complain of servants reading instead of working4 ,a friend at ,liverpool1 who had read my pamphlet1 8,who is my ,neighbour80 writes to me1 8,i think it is a very good thing that somebody thinks of the poor man4 ,i once heard a ,doctor of the ,navy say1 #8if he had his way a poor man's child should never have any learning whatever1 as it made the ,big ,bugs look so small4'0 ,i have often thought of his words4 #bf;a ,the ,bishop of ,chichester is sagacious enough to comprehend the dangerous tendency of educational questions to his ,order4 ,instinct tells him the dark abuses of the ,church would quickly disappear before the light of intelligence4 ,here is the key to his opposition to the ,paper ,duty ,repeal ,bill1 7,may #bast4 #ahfj47 ,a cheap well written ,press is also denounced from the ,palaces of ,bangor1 ,cashel1 and ,exeter1 and by several ,absentee ,bishops1 including ,st4 ,davids1 and the ,bishop of ,winchester4 ,i am glad to notice the ,bishop of this ,diocese 7,london7 with eight other ,prelates voted for the ,repeal4 #bf;b ,the ,church of ,england is the wealthiest ,church in the world1 yet it would scarcely be credited the number of well authenticated cases of appalling destitution that exist amongst some of the worthiest and hardest worked of its ,clergy4 #cj ,out of the #bj1jjj ,clergy of ,england and ,wales there are #aj1jjj with an income of less than #ajj a year2 contrast this poverty with the rich ,clergy1 and an ,archbishop of ,canterbury with #ae1jjj a year1 and ,york and ,london each #aj1jjj1 and ,durham and ,winchester each #h1jjj4 ,the ,laity denounce these shameful inequalities of remuneration4 #cd ,the ,public ,libraries ,committee1 ,birmingham1 have recommended a central reference library1 with ,reading and ,news ,rooms1 a museum and gallery of art1 and four district lending libraries with news rooms attached1 should be established4 ,the cost of the lending libraries1 each to contain #c1jjj volumes1 and the expense of maintenance for one year would be #c1beb1 and the annual cost of each1 after the first year1 would be #cgj1 or #a1dhj for the four4 #ce ,nasty minds are loth to part with dirty calumnies4 #ch;a ,the ,earl of ,,rosse',s vote 7,pair7 against the ,repeal of the duty upon paper is inconsistent indeed6 ,his telescope is the wonder of the world1 but for free glass what would it be8 ,here is a ,peer1 a great astronomer1 coming down from his high tower and clipping the wings that carry knowledge4 #ch;b ,mr4 ,,bright in a recent speech alludes to the ,times as a paper of 8great eminence10 ,i suppose he means as an enormous liar1 for he tells the ,birmingham ,meeting the crushing and withering truth that the ,times is at 8this moment selling the dearest interests of this country for its own private purposes40