The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-14 00:00:00

nitibusarits.

ON NV FInNEAnAv, in Mt. Paul's Cathedral. the FEs-
rivAt, 4,r"ritt: Smits or THE I'l.ElHili was celebrated
the 199th time. All the forms and ceremonies usually
attending this festival were duly celebrated, and at-
tracted more than the ordinary degree of interest.
There was a full church service, in which the choirs of
her Majesty's Chapel Royal, St. Paul's, Westminster
Abbey, end St. Cr eot.ge'a Chapel, Windsor, assisted ; and
the seri non was preached by Arel t deacon Sinclair. The
ceremonies of the morning were followed by the usual
evening banquet at Nlerchant Tailors' hall, the
Lord Mayor presiding. After dinner the Archbishop
of Canterbury took occasion to recapitulate the ser-
vices and detail the present condition of the
society :
- -• .

" lii the last year bet eletstommt, having no other avvoutiat,-;.- •
thitillit thilll their chamwes and necessities, had received relief
to the impend of 3,4971. i!. saws of front 101. to rag. each. ;PIO
widows, or aged !lemons, hail received pensions of from 10/. to
270/. *Nadi. Sint. had been distributed in donations to meet tem-
prary einergencitt4; mei 1121. hail been given to children to
promote their ad% Ittleetilellt arlireultiee:3liit ; the total results
showing that 1,259 penmen( had been imaerially assisted by the
stwiwy 1:w year. He saw no reason to think that the
Festival a.f the Sells or the Clergy would ever fall in public
estimation, mad he %lei quite sure that so long as that blunt of
unity which appeared to e‘ist between the Outride and the laity
condi 1111 l to be unreserved, the poorer brethren of the Church
would not want for that assistance which was really their due."
The secretary afterwards matte the 'gratifying
annomicenent that the collections of the present
anniversary had keen tho largest upon record. There
had been received at St. Paul's, 95/. ; at the dinner,
1,3151. ; annual subscriptions, 3101. ; showing an
increase of 2N21. over the receipts of the last year.
The total sum received, including legacies and dona-
tions, was 4,108/. Next year being the bicentenary
festival. additional interest will be imparted to the
proceedings.
THE SIXTY-VoI:KPH ANNEVEIIsARY of the Uri:RAM'
Fran was celebrated on Wednesday by several hun-
dred gentlemen. who dined at the London Tavern,
under the presidency of Mr. Disraeli. " This fund,"
said the chairman, when giving the toast of the
evening, "was originated, not by a man of letters,
but by a min of lettered taste, whose humble hope it
had been to prevent men of genius and talent from
falling into intolerable misery, and forbid the recur-
rence of catastrophes which were a flagrant outrage
ou ae li;crary honour of a civilised community. But
a great change had taken place since that epoch in
the relations subsisting between authors and the
public, and the Literary Fund had far outgrown its
original conception. Sovereigns and princes had
presided over its festivals, and the large and influen-
tial assembly which were then present was a proof
of the bola it had taken in the public sympathy." Mr.
Disraeli then examined the principles on which the
Fund was constituted, and the system by which its
resources were applied. The former he pronounced
sound and wise ; tire latter he considered judicious
and satisfactory :
" lie had no witnesses to prove the excellence of the institution
and the a liniothie way in which it s tufairs bud Lawn untitagA.
its higheot merit was that Its deeds were secret. (Cheers.) Only
those who had examined the records of the institution could.
comprehend the vast amount of good it had achieved, and for
what a p. riot) of time it lest dischluxol the highest ditto. s and
sonic Of the StrOllVAt Ithll4 of humanity. Tl!, condi-
I 10114 011 widen a4sistaUwe Wl/3 glltlltell were severe hut admirable.
did not depend upon 'civil opinion. or religious creed, or
unittry, tie ,'lime. The poet of lee land and the grammarian of
Arabia had been relieved tl'om the Literary Fund, and one of
the most distinguished authors of the nineteenth century, the
miniAter of regal tomtits% had boast: it in Ins pride of place that,
es ,tit obsettre enti!7rant, he oats tissisteil from the sumo source.
thoagh thus eosmopolitan, there wits one condition strictly
adhered to—the person relieved Joust be meritorious. He
ihottglit, therefore, that not only was the principle MI which the
iv ai:+ai•at wits estah'ished a tow and sound our, lint that the
manner in which it had been 'TOW awl administered hail been
wise, disereet, and satiofaetery.
Dr. Ititssell stated that the sum distributed during
the past year vas 1.3401., or rather less than the
amount of. the preceding twelve months, and that the
number of families relieved during the same period
was forty -nine. It was subsequently stated that
about 1,0001, had been snbscribed during the evening
in the room, including 31/. from the chairman. The
company ditl not s;:parate till a He hour.
THE PRITESTANT ASSOCIATION held its seventeenth
anniml meeting at Exeter-hall on Tuesday ; Mr. IL
C. L. lice.-an presiding. The report stated that there
had been an improvement in the finances of Vie so-
ciety in the prte.eding as compared with the last
year. It gave as the receipts for the year 1,4111.
Is. Id., and the expenditure 1,410/. ls. sd., leaving a
balance iu hand of 10/. 19s. 141. The document
also stated that NIL is. 4d. had been received for
publications during the past year, and that 1,21.

SATURDAY,

had been received from New Zealand, and 501. from
Canada. In conclusion it stated that the com-
mittee had circulated petitions with reference to the
grant to Maynooth College, nunneries, and the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church in Ireland. On the motion
of Sir J. 1). Paul, seconded by the Rev. R. Bicker-
steth, the report was adopted.
THE Assocunos for the aid and benefit of NEEDLE-
womEN held its annual meeting on Wednesday, at
Willis's Rooms ; the president, the Earl of Shaftes-
bury, in the chair. The meeting was attended prin-
cipally by ladies—among whom were the Marchioness
of Londonderry, the Countess of Wilton and the
Ladies Egerton, the Countess of Harrowby ; Ladies
Wharncliffe, Rivers, Hardinge, Marianne Alford, and
Robert Grosvenor ; Lady Louisa and Miss Finch,
Lady and Miss Fitz-Wygram, Lady Pirie, Hon.
Miss Wahlegrave, Mrs. Blonnield, Mrs. Long, Mrs.
Grainger, &T. According to the report then read the
society hod ameliorated the condition of its protegees
by reducing inordinate hours of work, abolishing
Sunday labour, and preventing the young people
from being kept up at night. The principals in the
majority of the \Vest-end houses had reduced the
hours of work, improved the workrooms and sleeping
apartments, secured a good system of ventilation, and
promoted generally the comfort of those in their em.
ployment ; but some few houses still persisted
iu exacting excessive labour, neglecting ventilation,
overcrowding the sleeping apartments, not allowing
sufficient time for meals, and prevented the young
people, in cases of sickness, from seeing the medical
officer of the society. The committee thought that a
day's work ought not to exceed ten hours, with a due
allowance for meals, nor did they despair of a general
introduction of such hours in the dressmaking busi-
ness. During the last yea: 1,223 young persons
had entered their names in the register, the total
number since the formation of the society was
10,952, and the provident fund numbered about
seventy depositors. The balance-sheet showed the
last year's income to have been 1,9701. We. lid., and
the expenditure 0421. Is. 10d.