34 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



which was held in Hull. At this meeting a paper 

 of his was read on " National Adult Education/' a 

 subject in which he felt great interest. In this 

 paper suggestions were made for the improvement 

 of Mechanics' Institutions, or rather for the sub- 

 stitution of something better in their place, for 

 they had then already failed to fulfil the purpose 

 for which they were designed. Something more 

 attractive was needed. He advocated the establish- 

 ment of national colleges, with buildings of hand- 

 some appearance, as a continuation of the national 

 school system, in towns. "This building," he ob- 

 served, "open throughout the day and evening, 

 should, if carried out to a complete extent, contain, 

 among other departments, a museum, a library, a 

 reading-room, a lecture-room, and a room for philo- 

 sophical experiments." He argued that a taste for 

 scientific pursuits might be fostered by the sight 

 of natural and artificial objects. "The first sight 

 of a butterfly or a bird may excite the dormant 

 spirit of a Le Vaillant or an Audubon, or the 

 model of an engine some otherwise ' inglorious ' 

 Fulton or Watt." Strongly urging the importance of 

 encouragement being given also to outdoor amuse- 

 ments and recreations, he proposed that in every 

 village and town open spaces should be set apart 

 for this purpose, and suggested also the establish- 

 ment of cricket-grounds, bowling-greens, gymna- 

 siums, quoit-grounds, bathing-places, and public 

 promenades. " Garden allotments," he added, " are 

 most advantageous, and might in a vast number of 



