Times," Burnett says, "I took the liberty once to complain to the King of this method (of buying votes); he said he hated it as much as any man could, but he saw it was not possible, considering the corruption of the age to avoid it, unless he would endanger the whole." The secret service money which, in the ten years preceding 1717, had amounted to £277,444, in ten years of Walpole's ministry, swelled up to very nearly a million and a half, or at the rate of £150,000 per annum; a large part of which, it was well known, was spent in bribing votes in Parliament. Some few statesmen of that day occasionally raised their voice against the prevailing system. Amongst others Secretary Stanhope, who succeeded Walpole after his first administration, publicly declared, (evidently as being something then very unusual,) "that he would be content with the salary and lawful perquisites of office; and though he had quitted a better place (as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,) he would not quarter himself upon any body to make it up; that he had no brothers or sisters to provide for, and that on his first entering into the Treasury, he had made a standing order against the late practice of granting reversions of places." And he acted up to this; for some large government negotiations having been arranged with the Bank of England and South Sea Company, he stated in the House, that he "understood it had been the common practice of those concerned in the administration of the Treasury, to make bargains for the public with Governors and Directors of Companies, by which some private advantages were generally made; but that in his (Mr. Stanhope's) opinion, such bargains ought to be determined at the bar of the House; and if any advantages could be made the public ought to have the benefit of them." In the following year Mr. Secretary Craggs writes, "It is incredible what prejudice all these sales of office do the king's service; for to complete our misfortunes, I have remarked that there is no distinction of persons or circumstances (to whom they are not sold, Jacobites, Tories, Papists, at the Exchange or in the Church, by land or by sea, during the Session and in the recess, nothing is objected to, provided there is money to be obtained."

But one individual, who more than any other, assisted in raising the tone of public feeling in England on this subject, and who

întroduced a higher and better system of political morality, was Lord Chatham. Lord Mahon (now Earl Stanhope) in his History of England, among the many admirable portraits which he gives of the leading statesmen of the day, has drawn one, not the least happy of his efforts, of William Pitt, afterwards Earl of Chatham, but more popularly known as the Great Commoner. In the course of his remarks, he says of him:-"bred amidst too frequent examples of corruption, entering public life at a low tone of public morals, standing between the mock patriots and the sneerers at patriotism, between Bolingbroke and Walpole, he manifested the most scrupulous disinterestedness, and the most lofty and generous purposes; he shunned the taint himself, and in time removed it from his country. He taught British statesmen to look again for their support to their own force of character instead of Court Cabals, or parliamentary corruption. He told his fellow citizens (not as agitators tell them, that they were wretched and oppressed), but that they were the first nation in the world, and under his guidance they became so."

I mention these circumstances just to show how comparatively recently in her history England has had such difficulties to encount er, and evils to overcome; and if, in this country, quite in its earliest stages, we find ours, we may hope nevertheless, that we shall be able also to work out successfully the problemn of our political system, and with the inherent health and energy, and buoyant hope of youth, in due course to acquire and maintain a good and honorable name in history. Why may we not anticipate a time, when the future historian of Canada will have to tell of some one amongst us, who shall have taught Canadian statesmen to look for their support to their own force of character, instead of Court cabals, or parliamentary corruption-who shall have told his fellow citizens (not as agitators tell them, that they were wretched and oppressed, but,) that they were, if not the first, yet a great nation, and how, under his guidance, they became so.

But the general complexion of the representation of any people must, of course, take its colouring from that of the people themselves, and as the great body of the people advance in wealth and independence, and intelligence, and general tone of character, so

there will be a wider and better field from which to select, and more required in every way from those selected. While corrupt statesmen increase the degradation of a community, so, if the people's principles are right, they will soon themselves bring an influence to bear upwards, and will feel their character compromised by corruption in statesmen or officials.

But while there is a rapid and acknowledged growth in the general material, wealth and prosperity of this countrywhile there seems a natural aptitude in her population for developing her varied resources in connection therewith—there are in other departments great difficulties to be overcome. The cultivation of the intellect, the promotion of scientific knowledge, and the higher branches of learning are not marked by the same manifest progress. But still in these departments, I maintain that it is our duty to work in hope of better things; seeing that, from the very nature of our position, this must naturally have been the case for many years. Who are the classes of people, who naturally come out as settlers in a new country like this? Are they the men of leisure and highly cultivated minds, devoted to the pursuits of science and the quiet pursuits of literature? For one of such a description as any of these, we have thousands who, as intelligent men of business, or sturdy cultivators of the soil, or skilful mechanics, have come here to seek and find room for their energies, and means of acquiring independence for themselves and their families; and where the means of employment, at very remunerative rates, are generally greater than the demand, it is, of course, no easy matter to meet with advanced students to fill the higher classes of our Colleges and universities, or any large proportion of persons, who are prepared to devote any great time or labor to scientific pursuits. Here, then, I say, because institutions for the advancement of such objects are not yet largely supported, or their class-rooms always crowded, we must not necessarily consider that they have failed of success. They are, slowly it may and must be at first, laying a foundation; by little and little diffusing information; imparting new tastes; and we may expect that their effects will be increasingly visible, as years pass on, and a new generation grows up to maturity.

And here I would refer to this, your own Institution, as one indication of progress in this direction. This Institution was incorporated ten years ago for the purpose, as is stated in the preamble of the Act of Incorporation, "of forming a Library and Reading-Room, and of organizing a system of instruction by means of Lectures and Classes, for the use and benefit of those who are, or may hereafter become, members." How little appeared to be accomplished for many years, it had a name but scarcely a local habitation-certainly a very unsuitable one. And indeed, it was little better than a Newsroom. But its members increased, and a desire to see all its objects accomplished was keenly felt by many of its supporters; and the consequence has been, first, the erection of this spacious pile of building, with all the conveniences for carrying into effect the end for which the Institution was incorporated. There is here not only the Newsroom, but this large and well appointed Hall for public Lectures, a Library with the commencement, at least, of a supply of books for its shelves, and classrooms for courses of Lectures on particular subjects, for Schools of Art and Design for students. We cannot imagine that such a work has been so far accomplished by the united exertion of the mechanics of Montreal, at so large an outlay, and yet that it will produce no further results.

With respect, however, to the advantages to be derived from attendance on any public Lectures, which are now so common, on every conceivable subject, I would remind you, that in order to be really useful, they must not be taken as a substitute for all personal study and intellectual labor on the part of those who attend them; but rather as affording useful hints and assistance. In the first place knowledge cannot be truly ours, till we have appropriated it by some operation of our own minds. I have read that some of the best writers on property in land have attributed that right to the first proprietor having blended his own labor with the soil. Something like this is true of intellectual acquisitions. Again, we often admire the skill with which any particular work is executed; and it perhaps seems to be done with such ease and rapidity that we are apt to under-rate its value, and imagine that it would cost us no great effort to do the same. "You charge me fifty sequins,"

(said a Venetian nobleman to a sculptor) "for a bust that cost you only ten days labour." "You forget," replied the artist, "that I have been thirty years learning to make that bust in ten days." I trust, then that besides the Class-room and the Lecture-room, the Library will form an important branch of this Institution; and that its shelves will in time present a goodly array of sterling literature and useful books of reference; and further, that its volumes will be so much in use, that no dust or cobwebs will be allowed to accumulate or to rest upon them. And what a wide field is there not open for study in our own language alone-a field full of that which may delight, as well as instruct, strengthen as well as refresh the mind. I was much interested the other day with reading, in the Illustrated London News, an account of the third festival of the St. Martin'sin-the-Field's Library and Reading Room for the working classes. There were 400 working men and their wives present; besides many of the London Clergy and other friends of the Institution. The Library was crowded and many of the guests adjourned to the school of Art and Design. Here a number of drawings (the production of members of the working classes) were exhibited, which showed considerable talent and accuracy. There are two hundred and two adults and children who receive instruction in the School of Art; and evening instruction and recreation for 129 in the Library; it was stated to be already nearly self-supporting. Many speeches, on topics connected with the Institution and its objects, were delivered; but the most striking one of the evening was by a Mr. Parker, a working man, in a coach factory in the parish, who astonished the company by quoting Aristophanes, Eschylus, and Sophocles; and then, as he expressed himself, stripped himself of his plumes by saying, "that he had learnt all he knew of them, by first attending a Lecture of Professor Browne at that Library on Attic Tragedy: and then by obtaining translations of these Greek poets, which he had read with delight and avidity." Here the Lecture-room and the Library were brought into due and proper connection, and by after study the teaching of the passing hour was carried on. It may not be expected that every individual will follow out, as matter for study, every subject on which he may hear a Lecture delivered; or that such a systematic course will in