With much vigour does he defend the mode of election:—
“Experience,” he says, “proves that, owing to imperfect methods of choosing those who are to direct the affairs of a society, the whole sway sometimes gets into the hands of a small party, and is exercised, perhaps unconsciously, in a way that renders many persons indifferent and alienates others, until all becomes listlessness, decay, and dissolution.”
While this Society was in full vigour, yet another was started by Rowland Hill and some of his brothers:—
“About Michaelmas, eight of us agreed to form another society, to meet on the Sunday mornings at each others’ houses, according to the plan of the old society, which has before been mentioned. Since that time we have met with the greatest regularity. When I joined each of these societies, I did it with a view of improving myself in extemporaneous speaking: this, at least, was one object. I then made a determination to speak upon every subject which should come before either society, a resolution which I have hitherto kept invariably. Besides this practice, I give an extemporaneous lecture once a week to the boys. At first it was a great labour to make an address at all, but now I speak with comparative ease. It is very seldom that I make the slightest preparation for speaking.”
The Minutes of this Society I have before me. Each member in turn “had to provide a subject for the consideration of the Society, and might propose either an extract for criticism, an outline for composition, or a question for discussion.” The subjects were, on the whole, very well chosen. They certainly would contrast favourably with those which used to be debated in the Union Society of Oxford in my undergraduate days. The following is the list of the subjects provided by Rowland Hill:—Are Importation Duties beneficial to Society or otherwise? Paper Currency; Instinct; The Fine Arts; The Political Effects of Machinery; Inductive Philosophy, as applied to the Common Affairs of Life; The Effects of the Extension of Education; Duelling; The Constitution of Minor Societies; The Qualities Necessary to Produce Success in Life; Rank; Public Opinion; The Economy of Time. Among the subjects introduced by other members, I find:—A Critical Review of Miss Edgeworth’s “Ormond”; The Possibility of the Introduction of a Philosophical Language; The Means we Possess of Judging of Others; The Study of Languages; Critical Remarks upon a portion of Kenilworth; Is it better to Admit or Exclude the Representation of Death on the Stage? Is the Acquirement of Literary Attainments Prejudicial to Commercial Pursuits?
In other ways, moreover, he was steadily training his mind and increasing his knowledge. Thus I find recorded in his Journal:—
“April 20th, 1818.—This morning I began to learn French, in company with William Matthews.[33] We are to meet at our house every other morning at five o’clock, and study till seven. We do not at present intend to have a teacher; perhaps when we have gained a little knowledge of the language we may apply to one. As my time is so valuable to me, I intend to spend one of our vacations in France, when I have made a considerable progress in the language, as that will be the most rapid way of learning.
* * * * *
“May 25th.—We have discontinued the French for the present, as William Matthews is obliged to give his attention to some other pursuit.”