Western Worthies: A Gallery of Biographical and Critical Sketches of West of Scotland CelebritiesJeans, J. Stephen (James Stephen)
History
Western Worthies: A Gallery of Biographical and Critical Sketches of West of Scotland Celebrities
Jeans, J. Stephen (James Stephen)
Scotland -- Biography
In the education question Mr. Anderson had always taken a keen interest.
Besides lectures and papers to the Philosophical Society, the
Educational Institute, and the Social Science Congress he published two
pamphlets pointing out how utterly worthless the half-time education
clauses of the Factory Acts had proved, and urging compulsory education,
or, in default of that, a _quasi_ compulsion in the form of an
educational test, in place of an age test, for youthful labour. He also
came prominently before the public on the occasion of an agitation which
took place in 1867 in reference to the subject of an education bill for
Scotland. It will be remembered that two parties in the city sought to
influence the Government of the day for different ends. One party was
composed of the religious, while the other represented the unsectarian
element, and by both memorials were sent to Parliament urging the claims
of Scotland to a more comprehensive system of national education. Mr.
Anderson, of course, espoused the cause of the unsectarian party, who
went in for compulsory education; and he addressed a meeting in the City
Hall, at which several resolutions approving of an unsectarian as
opposed to a religious scheme of education were passed by a considerable
majority of those present. The Reform Bill of 1868 gave Glasgow a third
member, and Mr. Anderson was fixed upon as the most suitable
representative of the interests of labour. His candidature, which as we
have already indicated, had been invited by the Reform Leaguers and
Trades Delegates of the city, was warmly supported by the working
classes. A three-cornered constituency, the electors of Glasgow could
only vote for two candidates; and as there was a Tory in the field, in
the person of Sir George Campbell, it became a rather nice question as
to how the three Liberal candidates were to be returned. The Liberal
party were equal to the emergency. They agreed to vote for the two
lowest candidates on the list throughout the polling, irrespective
altogether of personal predilections or sympathies in favour of either.
In this way the battle was won in the Liberal interest, and Glasgow
vindicated her claim to be esteemed the most Liberal constituency in the
kingdom. At the close of the poll, the return was as follows:--
Robert Dalglish, 18,287
W. Graham, 18,062
G. Anderson, 17,803
Sir G. Campbell, Bart., 10,812
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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