IRELAND.
Einin!-41011, vvluu is , uu In better, is on a visit to De. Sondes, Bishos Waterford, Ilia Exeellency received an address from the comas -ion, cheesy, and ci!ieene of NVaterford.
Mr. ho was eleeted for Waterford on Friday last, without
opens- ; :ma aelivered a long whIress to his constituents. Ile reviewed the .cedings of the last session—losing no opportunity or saying a good •-• eel for his Whig friend:. lie glanced at the state of Europe ; notice as with peculiar :s:1'1,r:1i:tin», the settlement of the Belgian ques-
tion, t the success tile Chri.e inns in Spain. He lauded the Foreign Seer. siey for the Austrian treaty of Commerce ; and expressed an ophdoi: that the political derangement in the East of Europe would only be tem iorery. Defence of' "open questions," and expressions of gra-
tit wi • • i isters for " openieg" the Ballot, occupied a considerable porti; ie of the speech. Mr. Wyse descanted at length on the advantages of Mitaicipal Reform. lie' congratulated his fellow-emantrymen on their u bstinence from Chunqiu, and on their loyalty to the Sovereign. 1-Fe re.• Awed the question of Eilliention for the concluding portion of his el:it:wale address-
" lt is in vain to tall: of states aild constitutions, unless we have Men, or of mos unless we have minds. minds, if we eannut mate, we can form: from tie forming of individual mimis comes the thrilling of the national. If it be s.,:houlmater who makes the school, it is the school which makes the iiatinJ. This opinion, a few years ago not only considered heterodox, but fc.ildoto considered at all, is now univeraally recognized. In IS:11, I could scarce' tied a seconder to my.bill fur Irish elucatioa. I have lived to see that bill in 'AI and flourishing operation. The various motions which followed for the es' .blishing of a national sysfe^e in England, till last y.ear, met with scarcely alt)' s. npfithy. Last year, fur the first time, 1 perceived dawnings of hope. The a' Iress I that moved, for of Education Board and schools for teachers, was re: .ctrl by a majority of only two. This year it li,:came a Government quest; is now in operation. The debates on thug great question were aide ' instructive. Party never appeared more midis:nil:ed. I thought I had nicut tally explained myself on the religious branch of the question. 1 know the v,'ue, the necessity, of moral ana religious above all other instruction. 1 reg.; mere in [in.:nation as a 11u-ins, not an end. I call not for knowledge, lint wislom—not for doctrine, but de-ds—good precept, hot better conduct—en light, • ed, but, clove al!, latter men, l never proposed to exclude what, in my nine:, was the prinripal object, but more effectually to comiiine. I wished tlmt the reli:") vs tenehmi. of each persuasion should he left to their respective pastors; but that i t addition to this, not in exclusion of this, such a course of intellectual and dustrious teaching should be given as might really merit the name of educi• ion, and lie worthy of the support and guidance of the state. To this, sum.. a to say, 1 foamd the very same statesman to whose coilperstion the esta- blishment of the system was owing in Ireland to he directly oppinetl. lIe oh- jectell to the plan ; he objected to the mode of executing the 1)11111; and yet be haa f rnished the precedent for both. Ile feared the adinis.,:i■rn of Catholic's into !,thools frequented by Protesaints, and yet insisted on these joint schools in Ii' !and. It' there were dan!yr to Protestant consciences, where Protestants were nany and the Catholics few, how much more danger in schools inhere Catho- lics s. are many and Protestants firm. Protestant conscience is surely not inure prech us or more flexible in Famla nil than it is in Ireland. lf it were a disregard of tie' fair Annie to joint legislation on the part of the miler branch ofthe Legis- lature, to introduce the illeilS111',S in the manlier in which it appeared before the Can acme, I know not how we can acquit the noble lord of a similar contempt of the rights of the Peerage, where we find that not onlv did he adopt such cool',., but adopted it in Ms let ter to the Duke of lxinsier, without any dis- cus,: in such as recently tools place—adopted it when discussion was impossible, who) the !louse was no longer sitting. The indite required no confuta- tion from the advocates of the measure ; it was sufficient to oppose to Lord Stanley, Mr. Stanley—to appeal from his present to his fernier self."
Tice means at the disposal of Government for promoting national education were small, but great principles had been established ; and if the funds were honestly applied, the result would not much longer be questioned- " Education, in one way or another, mmt henceforth advance : it may be trusted to the every-day (.7i:tending experience of the country—to the influence of the p. exa:n I r
c O. io.wr natione--to the sell-respect of a great people. A. few good—really good echeol,--a Ho es reports, temperate conduct, and assistance cordial, but also enlightened, mid not vexatious or unnecessary' interference— these are arguments which sooner or later will have their sway. Nor is the cause without allies in other recent iii•msures. All communication of mind with mind must advance education. Prenetice, division, are only other names for ignorance, and ignorance is the natural child of seclusion and separation. A village may be a century behind the capital ; it noiy be living in a bygone age, in habits, manners, and opinions, whilst the capital is living solely in the present. No wonder that between these two there can be little sympathy, not snore than between two different nations. To bring them into one—to soften by approximating—to render more tolerant, by rendering more experienced— is the object of communication, whether by road or letter. 'Who, then, a friend to national enlightenment and national concord, but will hail with en-. thusiasm the extension of the railway system ? It is gradually forming England into one great city. The adoption of the New Postage Bill will gist
to writing all the facilities of personal converse. Now, this extension
of both to the whole Continent is almost inevitable. No nation eaa adopt any new improvement of so comprehensive a kind without ins. posing on other nations the inevitable obligation of following its ex. ample. The railroad system has already made great advances in 13e1, glum, France, and Germany. M. Piron tells us that it will be gradually followed by a penny postage. Who doubts of the consequences of such a change? Who questions the all-efliciency of such instruments? Talk, in. deed, of perpetuating ignorance, of consolidating bigotry, of preventing pro. Iress ! These are the causes that protest against it. We cannot retrograde. t is a grand moral impossibility. To attempt to roll the centuries back, or the habits, thoughts, opinions of the present day, to the habits and opinions of the past, would he just as rational as to attempt to bridle in its majestic course the noble river which flows 'beside your doors, and to send it to the mountnin- source from which, through many a winding, it slowly and painfully struggled into day. We cannot retrograde : every institution we have conquered, every as. piring we feel, every recollection of the past, every aspect of the future, are pledges of progress, are guarantees that we must go on. The only question now is, by what means and to what end? Intellectual improvement, assured freedom, aug- mented wealth, arts and commerce, and constitutions are not enough—all these must not only rest on but must grow out of improved moral life : to this all rulers, an nations, if they would have not the false tinsel of a transitory prosperity, but solid national happiness and true national glory, must bend their heads and hearts, their hands and minds. To that as the great end I look equally, trust, with you. 1 regard office only as a larger opportunity of hearing may part in accomplishing this good. I do not consider these questions as Levers only to raise one man into place, or to throw another man out ; but worthless indeed would they he if their value stopped there. It is as a portion of the re- generation of our country that they arc really good. As such, I rejoice to !nave had my share in their achievement. 'Whether in place or out of place, on such questions my opinion and conduct must continue unchanged. The opt. triune I expressed from these hustings when first you chose me as your Repro- eentative Lire my opinions now. I trust that, when next we meet, I shall have to present you with the proofs that my new situation has tended, net to alter, but :moue them."
[It is impossible to read this elegant composition, and at the same time to bear in mind Mr. Wy.se's past exertions in the cause of education, without perceiving, that if the electors of Waterford have not sent a very influential politician or vigorous statesman to Parliament, they have at least chosen a Member vastly superior to the common herd— an accomplished gentleman, with large and philanthropic views.]
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