summary；　which　shall　be　as　concise　and　as　correct　as　my　information
  and　my　remembrance　of　it　may　render　possible；　I　desire　to　lay
  emphatic　stress。　　Your　institution；　sixteen　years　old；　and　in　which
  masters　and　workmen　study　together；　has　outgrown　the　ample　edifice
  in　which　it　receives　its　2；500　or　2；600　members　and　students。　　It
  is　a　most　cheering　sign　of　its　vigorous　vitality　that　of　its
  industrial…students　almost　half　are　artisans　in　the　receipt　of
  weekly　wages。　　I　think　I　am　correct　in　saying　that　400　others　are
  clerks；　apprentices；　tradesmen；　or　tradesmen's　sons。　　I　note　with
  particular　pleasure　the　adherence　of　a　goodly　number　of　the　gentler
  sex；　without　whom　no　institution　whatever　can　truly　claim　to　be
  either　a　civilising　or　a　civilised　one。　　The　increased　attendance
  at　your　educational　classes　is　always　greatest　on　the　part　of　the
  artisans　…　the　class　within　my　experience　the　least　reached　in　any
  similar　institutions　elsewhere；　and　whose　name　is　the　oftenest　and
  the　most　constantly　taken　in　vain。　　But　it　is　specially　reached
  here；　not　improbably　because　it　is；　as　it　should　be；　specially
  addressed　in　the　foundation　of　the　industrial　department；　in　the
  allotment　of　the　direction　of　the　society's　affairs；　and　in　the
  establishment　of　what　are　called　its　penny　classes　…　a　bold；　and；　I
  am　happy　to　say；　a　triumphantly　successful　experiment；　which
  enables　the　artisan　to　obtain　sound　evening　instruction　in　subjects
  directly　bearing　upon　his　daily　usefulness　or　on　his　daily
  happiness；　as　arithmetic　（elementary　and　advanced）；　chemistry；
  physical　geography；　and　singing；　on　payment　of　the　astoundingly　low
  fee　of　a　single　penny　every　time　he　attends　the　class。　　I　beg
  emphatically　to　say　that　I　look　upon　this　as　one　of　the　most
  remarkable　schemes　ever　devised　for　the　educational　behoof　of　the
  artisan；　and　if　your　institution　had　done　nothing　else　in　all　its
  life；　I　would　take　my　stand　by　it　on　its　having　done　this。
  Apart；　however；　from　its　industrial　department；　it　has　its　general
  department；　offering　all　the　advantages　of　a　first…class　literary
  institution。　　It　has　its　reading…rooms；　its　library；　its　chemical
  laboratory；　its　museum；　its　art　department；　its　lecture　hall；　and
  its　long　list　of　lectures　on　subjects　of　various　and　comprehensive
  interest；　delivered　by　lecturers　of　the　highest　qualifications。
  Very　well。　　But　it　may　be　asked；　what　are　the　practical　results　of
  all　these　appliances？　　Now；　let　us　suppose　a　few。　　Suppose　that
  your　institution　should　have　educated　those　who　are　now　its
  teachers。　　That　would　be　a　very　remarkable　fact。　　Supposing；
  besides；　it　should；　so　to　speak；　have　educated　education　all　around
  it；　by　sending　forth　numerous　and　efficient　teachers　into　many　and
  divers　schools。　　Suppose　the　young　student；　reared　exclusively　in
  its　laboratory；　should　be　presently　snapped　up　for　the　laboratory
  of　the　great　and　famous　hospitals。　　Suppose　that　in　nine　years　its
  industrial　students　should　have　carried　off　a　round　dozen　of　the
  much　competed　for　prizes　awarded　by　the　Society　of　Arts　and　the
  Government　department；　besides　two　local　prizes　originating　in　the
  generosity　of　a　Birmingham　man。　　Suppose　that　the　Town　Council；
  having　it　in　trust　to　find　an　artisan　well　fit　to　receive　the
  Whitworth　prizes；　should　find　him　here。　　Suppose　that　one　of　the
  industrial　students　should　turn　his　chemical　studies　to　the
  practical　account　of　extracting　gold　from　waste　colour　water；　and
  of　taking　it　into　custody；　in　the　very　act　of　running　away　with
  hundreds　of　pounds　down　the　town　drains。　　Suppose　another　should
  perceive　in　his　books；　in　his　studious　evenings；　what　was　amiss
  with　his　master's　until　then　inscrutably　defective　furnace；　and
  should　go　straight　…　to　the　great　annual　saving　of　that　master　…
  and　put　it　right。　　Supposing　another　should　puzzle　out　the　means；
  until　then　quite　unknown　in　England；　of　making　a　certain
  description　of　coloured　glass。　　Supposing　another　should　qualify
  himself　to　vanquish　one　by　one；　as　they　daily　arise；　all　the　little
  difficulties　incidental　to　his　calling　as　an　electro…plater；　and
  should　be　applied　to　by　his　companions　in　the　shop　in　all
  emergencies　under　the　name　of　the　〃Encyclopaedia。〃　　Suppose　a　long
  procession　of　such　cases；　and　then　consider　that　these　are　not
  suppositions　at　all；　but　are　plain；　unvarnished　facts；　culminating
  in　the　one　special　and　significant　fact　that；　with　a　single
  solitary　exception；　every　one　of　the　institution's　industrial
  students　who　have　taken　its　prizes　within　ten　years；　have　since
  climbed　to　higher　situations　in　their　way　of　life。
  As　to　the　extent　to　which　the　institution　encourages　the　artisan　to
  think；　and　so；　for　instance；　to　rise　superior　to　the　little
  shackling　prejudices　and　observances　perchance　existing　in　his
  trade　when　they　will　not　bear　the　test　of　inquiry；　that　is　only　to
  be　equalled　by　the　extent　to　which　it　encourages　him　to　feel。
  There　is　a　certain　tone　of　modest　manliness　pervading　all　the
  little　facts　which　I　have　looked　through　which　I　found　remarkably
  impressive。　　The　decided　objection　on　the　part　of　industrial
  students　to　attend　classes　in　their　working　clothes；　breathes　this
  tone；　as　being　a　graceful　and　at　the　same　time　perfectly
  independent　recognition　of　the　place　and　of　one　another。　　And　this
  tone　is　admirably　illustrated　in　a　different　way；　in　the　case　of　a
  poor　bricklayer；　who；　being　in　temporary　reverses　through　the
  illness　of　his　family；　and　having　consequently　been　obliged　to　part
  with　his　best　clothes；　and　being　therefore　missed　from　his　classes；
  in　which　he　had　been　noticed　as　a　very　hard　worker；　was　persuaded
  to　attend　them　in　his　working　clothes。　　He　replied；　〃No；　it　was　not
  possible。　　It　must　not　be　thought　of。　　It　must　not　come　into
  question　for　a　moment。　　It　would　be　supposed；　or　it　might　be
  thought；　that　he　did　it　to　attract　attention。〃　And　the　same　man
  being　offered　by　one　of　the　officers　a　loan　of　money　to　enable　him
  to　rehabilitate　his　appearance；　positively　declined　it；　on　the
  ground　that　he　came　to　the　institution　to　learn　and　to　know　better
  how　to　help　himself；　not　otherwise　to　ask　help；　or　to　receive　help
  from　any　man。　　Now；　I　am　justified　in　calling　this　the　tone　of　the
  institution；　because　it　is　no　isolated　instance；　but　is　a　fair　and
  honourable　sample　of　the　spirit　of　the　place；　and　as　such　I　put　it
  at　the　conclusion　…　though　last　certainly　not　least　…　of　my
  references　to　what　your　institution　has　indubitably　done。
  Well；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　come　at　length　to　what；　in　the　humble
  opinion　of　the　evanescent　officer　before　you；　remains　for　the
  institution　to　do；　and　not　to　do。　　As　Mr。　Carlyle　has　it　towards
  the　closing　pages　of　his　grand　history　of　the　French　Revolution；
  〃This　we　are　now　with　due　brevity　to　glance　at；　and　then　courage；
  oh　listener；　I　see　land！〃　　I　earnestly　hope　…　and　I　firmly　believe
  …　that　your　institution　will　do　henceforth　as　it　has　done　hitherto；
  it　can　hardly　do　better。　　I　hope　and　believe　that　it　will　know
  among　its　members　no　distinction　of　persons；　creed；　or　party；　but
  that　it　will　conserve　its　place　of　assemblage　as　a　high；　pure
  ground；　on　which　all　such　considerations　shall　merge　into　the　one
  universal；　heaven…sent　aspiration　of　the　human　soul　to　be　wiser　and
  better。　　I　hope　and　believe　that　it　will　always　be　expansive　and
  elastic；　for　ever　seeking　to　devise　new　means　of　enlarging　the
  circle　of　its　members；　of　attracting　to　itself　the　confidence　of
  still　greater　and　greater　numbers；　and　never　evincing　any　more
  disposition　to　stand　still　than　time　does；　or　life　does；　or　the
  seasons　do。　　And　above　all　things；　I　hope；　and　I　feel　confident
  from　its　antecedents；　that　it　will　never　allow　any　consideration　on
  the　face　of　the　earth　to　induce　it　to　patronise　or　to　be
  patronised；　for　I　verily　believe　that　the　bestowal　and　receipt　of
  patronage　in　such　wise　has　been　a　curse　in　England；　and　that　it　has
  done　more　to　prevent　really　good　objects；　and　to　lower　really　high
  character；　than　the　utmost　efforts　of　the　narrowest　antagonism
  could　have　effected　in　twice　the　time。
  I　have　no　fear　that　the　walls　of　the　Birmingham　and　Midland
  Institute　will　ever　tremble　responsive　to　the　croakings　of　the
  timid　opponents　of　intellectual　progress；　but　in　this　connexion
  generally　I　cannot　forbear　from　offering　a　remark　which　is　much
  upon　my　mind。　　It　is　commonly　assumed　…　much　too　commonly　…　that
  this　age　is　a　material　age；　and　that　a　material　age　is　an
  irreligious　age。　　I　have　been　pained　lately　to　see　this　assumption
  repeated　in　certain　influential　quarters　for　which　I　have　a　high
  respect；　and　desire　to　have　a　higher。　　I　am　afraid　that　by　dint　of
  constantly　being　reiterated；　and　reiterated　without　protest；　this
  assumption　…　which　I　take　leave　altogether　to　deny　…　may　be
  accepted　by　the　more　unthinking　part　of　the　public　as
  unquestionably　true；　just　as　caricaturists　and　painters；
  professedly　making　a　portrait　of　s