29 
looking people, and the house was clean. True, it was only 
in a village, hut it was only a few miles from a considerable 
town. The people were not the poorest, but probably the 
richest in the village. He had not found any similar case 
in Great Britain. These were decent people of the lower 
classes in want of what we may consider the ordinary tools 
requisite in modern civilisation only three years ago. He 
did not wish to speak of any manufacture for the study of 
which he may have had special opportunity, but, speaking 
generally, he did not think that the modern changes had 
penetrated all classes of the community so deeply in France 
and Germany as the exhibition represented, whereas Eng- 
land had done more than it showed at the Paris exhibition. 
This is quite independent of the question which is best, and 
relates only to the useful arts. 
It is clear, however, that wonderful advances have been 
made, and who makes them ? He considered that they 
were made by the upper classes of the manufacturers, and 
used by the upper and middle classes, but had not descended 
universally even to the middle classes. When the general 
descent takes place, the manufacturers will have a much 
larger home market than they have at present. It is for the 
interest of England that this advance among the people 
should take place, as in some instances it will prevent com- 
petition in foreign markets ; but whatever the commercial 
result may be, there is one lesson which we may all learn- 
Within the last thirty or forty years, the violent attempts 
to teach the people here by schools, mechanics’ institutes, 
and lectures given or promoted by benevolent persons 
attaching themselves to various societies, have wearied the 
souls of all who have cooperated or even looked on with 
interest. In Germany, without any commotion, calmly and 
pleasantly, the youths have been trained in schools and col- 
leges without number, and so thoroughly that they are able 
to supply foremen and managers to their own manufacturers’ 
