6 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



Division of the neighbouring city of Manchester, 

 Mr. Samuel Whitbread, the grandson of my grand- 

 father's friend, was a fellow- Member. During a dis- 

 cussion of the Technical Education Bills I reminded 

 the House of the action which had been taken eighty- 

 two years before by our two grandfathers. 



But England had to wait until 1807 became 1870 

 before a Bill for a national system of education passed 

 into law. It is scarcely possible to realise what would 

 have been the benefit to this country had the earlier 

 measure been placed on the Statute Book. 



That my grandfather's opinions on science and 

 education were far in advance of his age is clearly 

 shown in an address which he delivered on the occasion 

 of the foundation of the Liverpool Royal Institution 

 in I8I7. 1 An Italian translation of the discourse 

 appeared shortly after its publication in England. 



It fell to my lot to distribute prizes at the same 

 Institution in 1881, and I chose for the subject 

 of my address an exposition of my grandfather's 

 ideas of more than sixty years before. With true 

 insight he declared that " imperfect indeed would 

 be the civilisation of that people who, devoted to 

 the accumulation of wealth by industry, should, from 

 an apprehension of expending their means on use- 

 less objects, refuse to encourage scientific inquiries." 

 He also asked to what are all the astonishing im- 

 provements which have lately been made in mechanics, 

 in chemistry, in manufactures, to be attributed, 

 but to the incessant researches and scientific dis- 

 coveries of those whose talents have been devoted 

 to extending the boundaries of science. He tried to 

 imagine what would be the consequence if we were to 



1 Printed by Harris and Co., Liverpool and sold by Cadell and Davies, 

 London, 1817. 



