THE LATE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2074, 22 October 1885, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE LATE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY.

Thk following appreciates notice of this distinguished Statesman and philanthro pist appears in the Nelson Mail :— Revered and beloved by thousands upon thousands of his fellow countrymen there has just passed away, in the B.lth year of his age, one of England's noblest sous. It was not on the battle plain, in the field of liteiatuie, or in the arena of politics that the E.irl of Shaftesbuiy won honour and renown, but in the by ways, lanes, and slums of London, in the mines and nulls of working England. Himself a poh&hed gentleman and an accomplished scholar, it was the most wretched and most forlorne of his fellow creatures who excited his sympathies, and to ameliorating whose condition he devoted his long life. Wherever poverty, sorrow snffermg, and vice most abounded was the selfselected field of his labour. By the accident of birth he wis one of the austocracy of England, but he was not satisfied with that position. He aspired to something far higher, and by Ins never ceasing personal exertions in the direction of doing good he created himself a member of that nobler aristocracy which comprises all those who devote their time their labour, their wealth, and their natural gifts, not to their own self-grati-fication, but to elevating the tone and improving the condition of the multitudes who are less fortunate than themselves in all these respects. It was said, and truly said, of him a few years ago that " the various religious, social, and philanthropic associations with which he is offically connected are so numerous that a list of them would include almost every scheme having for its object the physical, moral, and spiritual improvement of society. '' The great end he had in view was to effect a real improvement in the moral and reglious condition of the lower classes, but he fully recognised the difficulty of doing this unless there were first of all brought about an amelioration of their socal condition, in other words that it was of little use to preach morality and religion to those who *ere living in the depths of ignorance squalor, misery, and filth. So he set himself the task ot working a reform that in the face of the opposite the very mention of it created, seemed at tirst almost hopclrss. Bi t his indomitable energy, backed up as it was by all the finer and butter feelinge of the people of England w hen once their sympathies weie engaged, prevailed, and his first efforts lesulted in the limatitation of the hours of labour in mines and factories. Not satified with this he continued to push on it in the same direction with the result that a series of measuies were passed providing for the safety and health of the poor, the improvements of their dwellings, and an increase of pure water. Theie is one institution with which his name will e\er be associated, as to him it owns its birth, namely the ragßged Schools, which since their establishment have been the means of putting over 400,000 children, who would otherwise have been dragged up in the gutters, in the way of earning an honest livelihood. Ami here we may remaik m jmsmiHt that it is a coincidence not unwoithy of note that the same year has seen the ieinov.il by death of two gi eat men who took the deepest interest and themselves labomed in these institutions— General ({onion and Lord Shaftesbnry. Another Society in which he took a deep and practical inteiest was that for the erection of model houses, which has been the means of housing in a state of comfort and decency some 10,000 families. Consisting of nearly 50,000 souls. A little over two yeais ago the freedom of the city of Loudon was conferred upon the noble Earl, and the occasion was celebrated by a banquet, at which the Loid Mayor presided and some three hundred representatives of all the pnncipal philanthropic Socities in Oreat Britain were present. In the course of a most interesting speech delivered by Lord Shaftesbury, he showed the hunianitaiian progre^ 1 hat had been made withi" his own Hfetim.', •) lin concluding he said, "I hive b<n n taiung the positive view of thinga actually done. But may we not, nay, ought we not to take the negative view of things not done, or evils prerentcd ? It is dificult to prove the assertion ; but let anyone who doubts reflect tor one moment on what would have been the state of things in London at this time had not one ot these movements I have mentioned been set on foot the last fifty years. I verily believr that London would lia\ c been a holl upon the earth had it continued to exist ; but more probably it would have been devoured by its own inhabitants ! These movements have had a very soothing effect, and thousands who were not themselves recipients of the benefits have been pleased by the respect shown to the class to which they belong."

BninsH policemen aie piohibited from voting at Parliament.™ y elections. Thic newly-appointed paison of a very hilly Kentish village being a ciicket enthusiast, was icsolved to m-.til a love for tho game into his parishionei ->. Accordingly, a meeting was held, hubbciiptions and help weie pionnsed, and the Bole difficulty that remained to bo overcome was the di'scorery of a Mutable field. The only level bit in thepmish belonged to the butcher, who was a cantankerous, bumptious fellow. Ho, however, consented to lend his field, and, although he was known to be no ctieketer, lie was asked to play in tho opening match. His fir-»t ball clean bowled him ; but, instead of walkintr away from tho wicket, he leinaincd, with the evident determination of continuing his inning:). The unipiie, tliPiefoie, walked up to him and said: ** You're out, Mi Lull, you're out " The butcher turned round and said: "O.l'm ' liout, ham I ? I'm hout ! Well, hout you all go fioiu my blooming field. '